Drunk dad burst into neighbour's house and threatened 17-year-old girl with pellet gun

A drunk dad burst into a neighbour's house and threatened a teenage girl with a pellet gun in a "moment of madness", a court has heard.

It was after a dispute with her father in the Staffordshire village.

John Wright barged into the 17-year-old's home, in Forrester Close, Fradley, waving the gun around looking for the girl's father.

She was in the house at the time while her 11-year-old brother was upstairs.

The girl's mother pulled up outside their home as the 20-minute ordeal was unfolding and was subsequently threatened by the defendant, alongside her daughter.

The 35-year-old dad was eventually tasered by armed police who swooped following an emergency 999 call.

Wright, also of Forrester Close, had acted out, he said, after the teenager's father, who has since died in a car crash, had previously threatened to burn Wright's home down with his children inside.It was not revealed in court what the dispute was about but Wright and the family were neighbours and the girl had previously babysat his children.Wright appeared at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday, February 24 where he admitted possession of imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and threats to kill.

Prosecutor Katie Fox told the court: "The victim is 17 years old. She was aware the defendant was at the door, she opened it and he barged in."She knew the defendant and her father had had issues. They had exchanged abusive messages."At 3pm on November 29, last year, she was alone in the house with her 11-year-old brother who was upstairs."

She adds: "The defendant came in shouting as he did so. She said he seemed 'completely off his face' like he had been drinking or taking drugs."He was shouting about her father. He pulled out a handgun and she was instantly terrified and said her mother would be back soon."He was waving the gun around, asking where her father was, saying he would 'cap his knees', 'blast his b******* off' and 'whack him in the head'."She was worried it [the gun] may go off by accident. She didn't know if it was loaded or not."She covertly texted her mum and tried to calm him down. He continued making threats, saying her father is a dead man.

"The defendant's phone rang and it was victim's father and there was a tirade of abuse with the defendant saying, 'I am going to shoot you in the face'."The girl's mother swiftly pulled up outside and asked Wright to leave. But he started repeatedly banging on the window saying 'you are going to get it, you are going to get done'.He was later arrested by firearms police who had to taser him.The court also heard Wright's brother's partner later realised a pellet gun was missing from their home and believed he had taken it.

A victim impact statement made by the 17 year old was read out in court by the prosecutor.In it she said she no longer feels safe and feels weary. She has difficulty processing what happened and it impacts her sleep. She has anxiety, and is frightened and scared.

Wright's defence solicitor told the court the gun was not loaded and he had discarded it after the incident.

He added: "It was not a sophisticated planned activity. The defendant and his partner received threats from the father saying he would burn their house down with their children in it. The defendant took matters in his own hands, drank a lot of alcohol and went to the home to deter the father from making the threats.

"He has extreme remorse. He is a man of some future; it was a moment of madness.

"He has been left shocked at being remanded for three months. He has been attacked, bullied and his things stolen."

Judge Jonathan Gosling told the court that Wright had worked himself up into a frenzy and two days before the incident he was threatened by the girl's father.

Jailing Wright for 30 months, he added: "He has exceptionally high victim empathy. I have no doubt this defendant was seriously provoked [but] to be a 17-year-old confronted by a drunk man waving a gun is so serious that only jail can be justified."