‘I would have smashed your face with a brick’

and walked back towards the officers.”

He was arrested after members of the public overheard him saying that he intended to use the weapon towards the PCs.

While he was in custody he said to the police sergeant: “I would have smashed your face open with it.”

Mrs Jones said: “He stated that he picked up the brick to assault the officers because he was angry about the bike being taken. He didn’t seem very remorseful about it.”

In 2015 Ferguson received a two-year suspended prison sentence following his conviction for offences of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and criminal damage.

The incident occurred when during a row his pregnant partner locked him out of the house.

He kicked at the door demanding to be let in, then headbutted a window causing it to crack before throwing some bricks.

Ferguson later pushed his way into the house, ran upstairs and retrieved his air rifle.

He threatened to kill his partner, cocked the gun towards the house and fired it, but it didn’t have any pellets in it.

She was distressed and genuinely thought that he was going to shoot her.

Magistrates were told that the latest incident happened because Ferguson was fearful about his moped being taken away by police as he relies on it.

His solicitor Alana Law explained that he uses it to help care for his frail mother and get to his job as a warehouse operator at Poundstretcher in Leeds Road.

She added: “He was anxious that police were going to take the bike away from him.

“He’s panicked in a moment of anger through fear of losing it. He feels very embarrassed about the incident.”

Magistrates sentenced Ferguson to a community order as a direct alternative to custody.

Chairman Brian Castle told him: “You had an offensive weapon and were in public waving it around and threatening people.

“This is a public issue at the moment, and the public expects us to deal with these charges appropriately.”

The community order includes 150 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity days.

Ferguson will have to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.