A pistol-wielding trespasser who told two car salesman “I’ll ****ing hurt you” after they confronted him over the use of their car forecourt for a regular cut-through has been jailed for 12 months.

Christopher Winters pulled out a pistol after he was confronted by the pair on the forecourt of Burslem Motors, on Baddeley Street, Stoke, on October 25, during an exchange which was captured on CCTV.

The Stoke Sentinel reported that Richard McConaghy, prosecuting during a hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, said the 42-year-old swore at the pair and told them to “get **** back in over there or I’ll ****ing hurt you” before reaching into his trousers and producing the firearm, which was wrapped inside a sock.

Winters then left the premises and walked to his home to his home in Tellwright Street, Burslem – leaving the two men – sons of the business’s owners – in shock.

Police later visited Winters and found the weapon hidden in a washing machine, still wrapped in the sock, the Sentinel reported.

The weapon was found to be an air pistol.

Winters later pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and admitted possessing a firearm when prohibited.

Scott Ashdown, mitigating, described the incident at the car dealership as ‘short-lived’ and stressed that Winters had pointed the weapon at the ground, rather than directly at the salesmen.

The defendant claimed he had the pistol for target-shooting.

But Judge Paul Glenn told Winters that he had “caused real fear to two people” during the incident at Burslem Motors.