Five years jail for Telford sex toy man
A drunken man who sparked an armed police alert when he brandished a sex toy in a street row has been jailed for a total of five years.
Ian Poulton was drunk when panicked residents in Hadley, Telford, mistook the device tucked in his waistband for a pistol and called police, who responded with 15 armed officers.
The alarm was raised when the 33-year-old, of Mill Bank, Wellington, was seen threatening Jose Luis Candelaria in Hall Gardens on May 22, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard yesterday.
Poulton previously admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, criminal damage to a police car and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Candelaria.
Poulton also previously admitted criminal damage to a laptop, aggravated vehicle taking, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault on a neighbour, all committed in July.
Sentencing Poulton, Judge Robin Onions said: "It was clearly not a gun, be it imitation or real. It was an entirely innocent object. It was the defendant's intention to deceive. Witnesses thought it was a firearm so he has to take the consequences."
Poulton was sentenced to five years in jail for all the offences, banned from driving for three years and made the subject of three restraining orders.
Ms Rhiannon Jones, prosecuting, said shortly after 2pm witnesses thought they had seen a man waving a gun.
When police swooped on Poulton minutes later he 'didn't go quietly' and shouted at police that he should be let go.
She said: "The defendant was drunk and on drugs. He had taken mephedrone."
Mr Michael Sherwood-Smith, defending, said Poulton had been out of control and decided to humiliate Mr Candelaria as he perceived a dispute between them.
