A GUNMAN terrified neighbours when he pushed his way into their dog grooming shop and brandished the weapon.

Vincent McCabe, who weeks earlier had received a police commendation, took out a black Beretta style handgun after Mark Hambleton and his partner Brian Kennedy had joked they were thinking of calling the police after not seeing him for a while.

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After around 40 minutes they persuaded the 51-year-old former Hollands Pies security guard out of their business and home in Blackburn Road, Haslingden, and were able to call for help, a court heard.

The defendant, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent. He was sentenced to 12 months behind bars.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Hambleton, who runs A Billion Hairs dog grooming parlour, said he was angry at the length of the sentence and said he had expected him to go to prison for longer.

He said: "It is disgusting. It should have been far longer.

"He held us up with a firearm for 40 minutes. We were genuinely frightened of what might happen."

Preston Crown Court heard how on December 12 last year, Mr Hambleton, who knew the defendant as a neighbour, was getting into a car when he saw McCabe outside of his house.

He asked the defendant where he had been because he had not seen him in a while.

Mr McCabe jested that he thought of calling the police because he was so worried about him.

Louise Santamera, prosecuting, said: "The defendant immediately walked up to him and stared him in the eye and said 'don't you ever bring the police to my house'."

Later that day, Mr Hambleton and Mr Kennedy were in the front room when they saw McCabe pacing up and down the street.

Five minutes later, the defendant knocked on their door, the judge was told.

Miss Santamera said: "He walked straight into the front room.

"He walked over to Mr Kennedy and shook his hand. He then stood by the window and Mr Hambleton describes him as staring like he was in a trance before saying 'I appreciate your concern, but don't ever bring the police to my door. That would be a really bad thing to do'.

"He the bent down and reached into his satchel bringing out a black gun.

"Mr Hambleton describes him as pulling the gun out of the bag, standing up, cocking it and pointing it in the direction of where he was stood. He then put the gun down on a grooming table."

The pair managed to convince McCabe to leave and the police were called.

Philip Holden, defending, said the case was 'bizarre'.

He said: "This is a man who has no history of violence, who suddenly becomes involved in a serious incident with his neighbours."

The barrister told the court how only a short time before this incident, his client was given a chief constable's commendation after he apprehended a car thief.

He added: "At the time of this incident, the defendant had been made redundant. He had been finding life difficult following the death of his parents.

"He concedes that he did drink too much but he says he did not consider himself to have a problem with drink."

McCabe had also been on a methadone programme, the court heard.

Judge Simon Newell said the gun had all the appearances of a real beretta handgun.

He told the defendant: "The two victims in question who saw that weapon were in no way able to closely examine it when it was produced in their front room. It caused them real fear and real terror.

"Fortunately the police were able to recover the beretta air pistol from you without any serious consequence, but it could have been otherwise."

After being sentenced, McCabe, said to the judge: "You have just killed me. I did not go there with any anger.

"It was a misunderstanding."

In November last year, McCabe had received a police commendation for tackling and detaining a man who had rammed a police car and run off.