An imam’s son pulled an imitation Glock handgun out of his manbag after a petrol station cashier refused to sell him a packet of cigarette papers last summer.

The cashier at the Esso garage in Oxford Road, Banbury, had asked 18-year-old Anes Muhammad for proof of his age on August 15 but refused to accept a photograph of his provisional driving licence as legitimate ID.

Muhammad was said to have grown angry, telling the man: “You’re always doing this to me. It’s always f***ing you. You’re always doing this.”

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He left the garage but soon returned together with two other young men. The cashier was berated again, with the teen telling him: “You’re f***ing stupid. Just serve me and I’ll be on my way.”

The young man pulled what later turned out to be an AirSoft pistol from a man bag, holding the imitation Glock by his side.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said that, even though the weapon was not pointed at him, the shop assistant was fearful. “In that moment I thought I was going to die. I thought he was going to shoot me," he said.

Oxford Mail:

Armed officers were scrambled to the scene and arrested the teenager.

A police firearms expert examined the firearm and found it was an AirSoft pistol made to look like a Glock handgun.

Mitigating, Gordana Austin said her client had bought the gun the week before. He regularly went into the Esso garage, which was round the corner from where he lived.

The teenager had no previous convictions. The son of an imam, the offence was said to have ‘caused this young defendant a great deal of shame and embarrassment because nobody in his family has ever been in any trouble before’.

 

Ms Austin said: “This has served as a great deterrent for him. He was saying he certainly will never find himself in such a situation again.”

The defendant was said to have anger issues.

Sentencing him to four months’ imprisonment suspended for a year and a half, Judge Maria Lamb said Muhammad had ‘terrified’ the shop assistant.

She said: “You were in the Esso garage, you were asked for ID because you wanted to buy tobacco products. The cashier who dealt with you was perfectly entitled to demand that ID. He’s entitled to ask for it on every occasion you want to go in there and ask for tobacco products and he’d be in trouble if he didn’t.”  

Muhammad, of Songthrush Road, Banbury, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm. He must do 80 hours of unpaid work, up to 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £500 in compensation.

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