Leeds husband held fake gun to wife's head

Adrian Watson, 41, threatened to killl his wife before calling the police himself and telling them he was holding his partner at gunpoint.

Leeds Crown Court heard Watson suddenly turned violent at the couple’s home in Belle Isle, Leeds, despite never before showing any violence towards her.

Their granddaughter was asleep in bed at the time of the incident on December 3 last year.

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said Watson grabbed wife Linda by the neck and shook her so hard she struggled to breathe.

He then said to her: “You best phone the police, I’m going to point a gun to you head.”

He then went upstairs and returned with the imitation rifle and held it to her head.

Mr Bashir said: “She was understandably shocked and terrified and tried to reason with him and calm him down.”

Watson also said to his wife of two and a half years: “If I’m going down I’m going down in style with the armed police. I will kill you,”

He then contacted police and told them he had the weapon pointed at his wife. He then put the weapon down on the sofa and went in to the kitchen.

Mrs Watson ran from the house. When police arrived they found the 11-year-old granddaughter in a “terrified” state.

Watson pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent and common assault. He was jailed for two years.

The court heard he has served prison sentence for committing grievous bodily harm in 2002.

Graham Parkin, mitigating, said the weapon was an decorative rifle similar to one that could be used in line dancing and was not loaded at the time of the incident.

He said Watson had admitted the offence at an early and had behaved out of character.

Mr Parkin said Watson had been suffering from anxiety and had been drinking to cope with his symptoms. The lawyer said Watson would move to live with an aunt in another part of Leeds on his release from custody.

Watson was also made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting his wife or entering Winrose Drive, Belle Isle.