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A TEENAGER with a replica firearm terrorised two men leaving the Epsom Royal British Legion club before pistol-whipping one of them around the face, a court heard.

One of the victims, Richard Betts, feared he would be shot by Muzi Mguni, Guildford Crown Court was told on Friday (September 23).

It was only when Mr Betts and his companion Jonathan Arthur realised that the weapon was a fake that they grabbed the stranger and wrestled him to the ground.

But police took so long to respond that the duo had to let the struggling assailant go.

Mguni, from Gossops Green, Crawley, fled but was later arrested by police armed with a taser gun.

The defendant, 18, was locked up for six months when he appeared for sentence after pleading guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The court was told that the incident happened at 11pm on June 8 this year as Mr Betts and Mr Arthur were leaving the club on West Street.

Jill Beale, prosecuting, said: "The defendant approached the two men and started asking for directions."

She said: "He then pulled a silver gun from his jacket and hit Mr Betts a number of times around the face with it."

Mrs Beale said the blows left Mr Betts with a cut under his eye and swollen lip.

She said: "He then pushed the gun under Mr Betts's chin, putting a lot of pressure on it."

"Off his face"

"The defendant then said he would shoot Mr Betts."

Mrs Beale said that by this time both men realised it was not a real firearm, but a 'BB gun' which fired pellets.

She said the two of them tackled Mguni to the ground and held him while the police were contacted.

All the while the defendant was yelling: "I'm only 14. I don't want to go to prison."

But Mrs Beale said: "The police took some time to come. So Mr Arthur had to let him go."

A short time later the defendant was arrested by officers armed with a taser gun.

Mrs Beale said: "He told them that he was drunk and off his face. He said the men had been rude to him and attacked him causing the gun to fall out. He said he had bought it at a market."

The court was told that Mguni had previous convictions for attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and affray.

Beverley Cherrill, defending, cut short her mitigation after Judge Michael Addison said he would keep the custodial sentence to six months.

Sentencing the defendant, Judge Addison said the repeated clubbing of Mr Betts with the pistol around the face was the most serious part of the offence.

"Not unsurprisingly, he was terrified until he realised it was not a real gun," he added.

"The use of imitation firearms must be discouraged. I very much hope you will have learned your lesson."