Man pointed loaded gun at Glasgow bar bouncers

Smith pointed a loaded pistol at Nico's door staff

A man has admitted pointing a loaded gun at bouncers outside a Glasgow bar.

Francis Smith, 32, pled guilty to presenting the Slovakian-manufactured Grand Power self-loading pistol outside Nico's in Sauchiehall Street.

At the time of the incident, on 21 December last year, the street was said to be busy with passers-by.

Smith, appearing at the High Court in Glasgow, also admitted two contraventions of the firearms act.

Prosecutor Angela Gray said there had been an incident earlier in which Smith was allegedly assaulted outside the bar.

She added: "The accused shouted; 'I'm going to get a gun and shoot you.'"

The threat was not taken seriously.

Smith's lawyer accepted that a custodial sentence was inevitable

Smith returned to his room at the Blue Triangle accommodation in nearby Holland Street, where he kept the gun wrapped in a towel in a drawer.

A video was shown in court of Smith returning to Nico's and pointing the gun at door staff Benjamin Bibby and Stewart Edwards.

Ms Gray said: "Given that it was the week of Christmas, Sauchiehall Street was busy with pedestrians. As the accused approached Nico's bar he was holding the handgun.

"Someone in the vicinity shouted 'gun' as a warning. With his arm outstretched the accused pointed the handgun towards Mr Bibby and Mr Edwards.

"Benjamin Bibby immediately approached the accused and began to wrestle the handgun from him. He was assisted by Mr Edwards and another door steward."

She added: "The accused was disarmed and restrained on the ground until police arrived."

In a search of Smith's room, police found a single bulleted cartridge on the floor, five cartridges in a money tin and a further five inside a knotted latex glove.

Defence QC John Scullion said: "Given the circumstances a custodial sentence is inevitable."

Sentence was deferred by Judge Sean Murphy QC until next month for background reports and Smith was remanded in custody.