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A man sick of dogs fouling on the grass outside his flat used a homemade blowpipe to fire darts at pet owners.

Gary Warburton fashioned the weapon from a steel tube and used sharpened bike spokes to create the projectiles.

But the irate 59-year-old took out his frustration on two innocent victims, who had bags with them for dog excrement.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Liverpool Crown Court heard he fired two darts towards frightened father and daughter David and Emma Jackson.

And when police searched Warburton's Woolton flat, they discovered a workshop where he had crafted the weapon.

Iain Criddle, prosecuting, said David, 62, and Emma, 23, took their dog out for a walk at around midday on June 9 last year.

They let the dog off its lead to exercise on a communal grassed area outside a block of flats in Ribble Road.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Warburton walked past them without saying anything and went up to his flat, but then shouted down from a window.

He yelled: "Get the f***ing dogs off the grass, it's my f***ing garden, it keeps s****ing everywhere!"

Mr Jackson explained he had bags and if the dog had defecated, he would put the excrement in a bag.

However, Warburton replied "I know what you look like, I've seen your face" and disappeared from view.

(Image: Courtesy of CPS)

Mr Criddle said: "He returned seconds later, carrying what appeared to be a metal bar.

"At that point Emma Jackson and her father saw a projectile fly past them and hit the ground near where they stood.

"They said if they hadn't moved they thought it would have hit them.

"Shortly after a second projectile flew past them. It missed by about two feet."

(Image: Courtesy of CPS)

The victims called the police and Warburton let officers into his flat.

Mr Criddle said: "They found an improvised blowpipe described as a 115cm long steel tube with some red tape attached to one end.

"They also recovered a total of 51 darts... they were made from sharpened bicycle spokes.

"Some of them had metal shafts, some of them had wooden shafts, and they had cardboard flights attached to them, so they would fit inside the blowpipe."

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

When arrested and interviewed, Warburton confessing to firing the darts because he was "upset".

Mr Criddle said: "He admitted he had a problem with people allowing their dogs to defecate on the grass outside his flat.

"He denied he had shouted or used abusive words. He admitted he had fired the darts, using the blowpipe, from his flat.

"He said he was actually trying to miss them but scare them, but fired the darts in the general direction of Emma and David Jackson."

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Mr Jackson told the court he feared for his safety and thought Warburton was "dangerous".

Miss Jackson said she was "really shook up" and couldn't believe what had happened.

Warburton was originally charged with using a firearm to threaten unlawful violence.

He denied the offence and was set to stand trial - arguing the blowpipe didn't constitute a firearm.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

However, prosecutors asked for the allegation to be laid on the file after he admitted an alternative of affray.

The court heard Warburton - supported by a young man and woman in the public gallery - had "limited" previous convictions.

Judge Stuart Driver, QC, said: "They're very old and not for violence, they don't aggravate the case at all."

Mr Criddle said sentencing guidelines made reference to increased seriousness when an offender "threw missiles or objects".

He said: "The author probably didn't anticipate the use of a blowpipe." Judge Driver replied: "Who would?"

The judge said: "This is a man who suffered for a long time from anxiety, depression and paranoia.

"I'm not going to protract the suspense in this case - it needs to be a custodial sentence, but not to be immediate."

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Andrew Evans, defending, said there was nothing he could add, save for it was "an unusual case".

Judge Driver told Warburton: "This was a dangerous and frightening incident involving a weapon and projectiles that you had manufactured.

"Although I will sentence you on the basis you intended to scare your victims and not actually injure them, I'm satisfied that the offending was so grave as to demand a custodial sentence."

(Image: Courtesy of CPS)

He said there was "substantial personal mitigation", adding: "While you're not exactly of previous good character, you haven't been in trouble for a very long time and never for violence.

"In particular you've struggled with your mental health, been intermittently involved with community mental health services for over 12 years, there is evidence you're suffering from anxiety, depression and paranoia, and I'm satisfied that was intrinsically connected with this unusual behaviour."

The judge said there was a "good prospect of rehabilitation" and handed Warburton eight months in jail, suspended for 12 months.

He told him to complete a 20-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the blowpipe and darts.