Victims believed fake gun was real

A man who pointed an imitation pistol at people on a residential street in northern Southland apologised to police as he stood in the dock for sentencing in the Gore District Court yesterday.

The court heard Pavel Ian Douglas, 24, had been drinking with friends in Lumsden on April 2 and wanted to go and see his son.

Douglas admitted one charge of presenting a firearm and one charge of threatening to kill and was sentenced to four months’ home detention with conditions that he attend drug and alcohol counselling, 150 hours’ community work and post detention supervision for six months. The home detention sentence will be served in a different town.

The court was told he pulled a BB gun from his pocket on Folia St and waved it around before being approached by an associate, who was the first victim in the incident.

The court was told she tried to engage with Douglas but because of his behaviour she went back to her home and spoke to a person in the driveway.

Douglas approached them and pointed the gun at them, using his right hand to pull the trigger.

The victim thought the gun was real and thought Douglas was going to kill her, the court was told.

He continued to walk down the street and the victim ran across the road to talk to another person, but Douglas approached them and pointed the gun at a dog that had approached him.

The second victim told Douglas to ‘‘leave the dog alone’’.

Douglas left the property and the victim followed him, so he pointed the gun at the victim and pulled the trigger a number of times.

The victim thought he could be shot and ran for cover and Douglas went back to his address, where he was arrested by police, who located the imitation pistol.

Douglas threatened police officers, saying he’d ‘‘get the Mongrel Mob to make them disappear,’’ along with their families.

He threatened to get a gun, saying ‘‘I only need one bullet each would be enough.’’

Police said his behaviour was irrational and aggressive and he had to be restrained.

In his defence, Douglas told police he had been ‘‘trying to be gangster and look tough’’.

He said he had apologised to the Lumsden police officer for his behaviour and also apologised to the two officers in court, who said they would pass his remarks on to their colleagues.

‘‘I was drinking, angry and I clearly wasn’t thinking. I am sorry. I wish I could take it back.’’

Judge Bernadette Farnan said the victims had no way of knowing the gun wasn’t real and they thought Douglas was ‘‘seriously contemplating killing them’’. ‘‘I accept that it was not a proper firearm but that does not mean that they were not frightened.’’

Douglas told police he had been ‘‘trying to be gangster and look tough’’.