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A Latvian man celebrated a birthday party in Norris Green by firing a gun in the air at 1am and was then surprised when he was arrested by armed police.

Indulis Hanzens, 33, was drinking in a house full of his countrymen in the early hours of Sunday May 4 when he fired up to ten shots from a tear gas pistol he had bought from a car boot sale, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

David Polglase, prosecuting, said that there were three emergency calls from terrified neighbours on Elstone Road prompting a response from armed police.

Hanzens was arrested when the gun was found in the glove box of his BMW and police later discovered a C.S gas canister in the kitchen of his home on Central Avenue, Southport.

Amazingly he admitted to detectives that the gun was his and he had bought it for self defence, having once been a victim of a car jacking.

Neil Gunn, prosecuting, told the court that firing guns at parties was a common occurrence in Latvia and that Hanzens further regarded the C.S gas canister, which he bought on Ebay, as the sort of thing that ladies keep in their handbags.

He added: “The defendant frankly wanted to, in drink, make a noise to celebrate.

“His actions were born out of exuberance.

“Hearing that sound in that particular area would obviously cause concern.

“What he didn’t expect was fully armed police officers attending with the risks that go with that.”

The court heard that Hanzens, a father-of-three, was a hard working, conscientious employee at a chain restaurant and of positive good character.

He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and the C.S gas.

Judge Denis Watson, QC, said: “It seems enjoying the company of fellow Latvians in L11 you decided to go out into the garden and discharge a blank firing gas pistol not once but at least seven, and possibly up to ten times, causing huge concern in the neighbourhood.

“There can be no rule which allows those from a different culture to escape with a different sort of sentence for not only is ignorance of the law no defence but you have been in and around Liverpool for eight years.”

But he said that Hanzens’ good character and the “highly unusual” nature of the offences allowed him to suspend the sentence.

He jailed Hanzens for 20 months, suspended for two years, ordered him to pay £1,500 costs and carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

DS Paul Millet from St Anne Street CID, said: “Indulis Hanzens recklessly discharged a self-loading pistol into the air in the middle of a residential street causing a great deal of fear among local people.

“There is no place for illegally-held firearms in our communities here and Merseyside Police will relentlessly go after all those people who use guns to intimidate or harm others.

“We are committed to working with law-abiding members of the public to track down who has firearms and where they are being hidden and will act on any information we receive.”