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Shop customers fled into the street when an agitated gunman pointed an air rifle at the owner’s head shouting threats about shooting him.

A dozen customers were in the central Middlesbrough militaria store when Stuart Reith, 41, unzipped the air rifle from its case making demands.

Reith, who had served a nine-year jail sentence for robbery, had bought it three years before from the same shop Buckshees in The Dundas Arcade.

Prosecutor Stephen Duffield told Teesside Crown Court that Reith was complaining about its condition. The owner Jonathan Carroll told him that it was out of warranty but he advised him where he could get it fixed.

Mr Duffield said: “He was shouting and swearing in front of other customers saying that the man was a rip-off , complaining about the quality of the gun.

“He took it out of its bag, part cocked it and pointed it at him saying ‘I wish it was a real gun because I would shoot you ‘.”

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Reith put it back in his bag and walked outside where he was arrested by the police after returning and sitting on a chair near the entrance.

Mr Duffield added: “The gun was never loaded.

“Interviewed he said that he did not like people being ripped-off. He said that he half cocked it so that the shopkeeper could see that it was not loaded.

“Asked how he thought the shopkeeper would have felt he said ‘I hope he had nightmares for months. I could not care less what effect it had on the shop man.’”

Reith had been jailed for five years in 1998 for aggravated burglary and for nine years for robbery in 2001.

Robert Mochrie, defending, said that it must have been extremely shocking for the owner of the shop on the lunchtime of March 6 last year.

He said that Reith was performing well on a community order for motoring offences and his long-term partner was expecting their baby.

Judge Simon Phillips QC told Reith: “You have shown since 2009 that you are capable of avoiding offences of violence and avoiding committing offences.

“Misbehaving in public with an air rifle is a serious matter, but I am able just to avoid imposing an immediate prison sentence.”

Reith, of Auckland Way, Hartburn, Stockton, was given an 11 months jail sentence suspended for 18 months, a 25 days rehabilitation requirement, and 100 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to affray.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the rifle, case and pellets.