A MAN who wielded a fake gun in a bid to scare off a gang of men has been jailed.

Alan Bumpass of Sunny Side, Benson, had denied one count of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

As his trial at Oxford Crown Court came to an end on Monday, the 24-year old shook his head in disbelief when the jury returned a verdict of guilty after just over an hour of deliberation.

At his sentencing hearing on Tuesday the court also heard of an earlier unrelated incident of dangerous driving, and driving without insurance or a licence, just three weeks before the firearm incident. On that occasion, prosecutor Stephen Earnshaw said that Bumpass was spotted driving erratically at Bradstocks Way, Sutton Courtenay, on October 26, with another man on his bonnet.

When police eventually caught up him, with the unidentified man no longer on the vehicle, they had to use pepper spray to stop him trying to escape.

During his trial for the later firearm offence, which took place while he was out on bail for the dangerous driving on November 15, the court heard that Bumpass was seen at The Street, Crowmarsh Gifford, wielding the fake gun and chasing a gang of three men.

In mitigation, Richard Davies said that Bumpass was ‘remorseful’ for the driving incident and said that the firearm offence was motivated by the belief that the men he had pursued had been up to no good.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Ross said: “Those involved in carrying even imitation firearms on the street and who are prepared to use them to threaten and discharge shots must appreciate it will end in immediate sentences of imprisonment.”

For the imitation firearm offence he was jailed for two years to run consecutively with six months for dangerous driving.

He was also disqualified from driving for one year with a 15-month extension applied on account of his jail term.