Man jailed for threatening bus driver with toy gun

Darren Wilkinson pulled a toy gun out on a driver at the Galleries bus station

A man who threatened a bus driver with a toy gun has been jailed for four months.

Darren Wilkinson, 40, was "extremely intoxicated" when he pulled the black plastic pistol out of his pocket at the Galleries shopping centre in Washington in March, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The driver pressed an emergency button on the vehicle but it failed to activate, the court heard, with Wilkinson instead subdued by security guards from a nearby supermarket.

He admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or distress.

Prosecutor Chris Baker said Wilkinson was walking around the Galleries bus station at about 23:00 GMT on 7 March.

He said a Go North East bus pulled up and Wilkinson approached it.

Mr Baker said the driver thought Wilkinson, who was "scruffy" and had a "white substance above his top lip", was a passenger so opened the door to let him board.

The driver could barley understand what Wilkinson was saying but picked up the words "wife" and "Chester", leading him to believe Wilkinson, of Glendale House in Washington, wanted to go to Chester-le-Street.

Mr Baker said Wilkinson was told he was on the wrong bus, but after getting off he barged his way back through the closing doors and started shouting aggressively but incoherently at the driver.

He then pulled a small gun from his pocket and pointed it at the driver while shouting "I'll shoot", Mr Baker said.

A passer-by saw what he thought was a bus driver being held up at gunpoint, so ran to the nearby Asda and alerted the security guards.

The driver said he realised the weapon - a child's cap gun - was a toy quite quickly, but the incident had left him unable to sleep.

Jailing Wilkinson, Judge Nathan Adams said there was "nothing obviously toy-like" about the gun.