A DAD-of-four who fired a gun in the garden of his family home and pointed the weapon at a neighbour has been fined.

Armed police descended on Burtonwood earlier this year after a distressed member of the public witnessed Gary Twist firing an air rifle at the rear of his home on Spurling Road.

On Thursday, August 3, the 55-year-old was fined for the incident.

Warrington Magistrates Court heard that a neighbour was putting washing out in her back garden shortly before 11am on Tuesday, June 20, when her dog began 'going crazy'.

Hearing a 'loud thudding noise', the witness went upstairs and looked out of a bedroom window the the rear of her property.

She observed two male youths playing with the gun, before Twist came out of his home and took hold of the rifle.

Twist, who is married with four children, raised the rifle and pointed it in the direction of the window the witness was stood at.

The soft drinks delivery driver then crouched down, and the woman heard another loud thud.

In a statement read out to the court, the witness said: "I felt very intimidated.

"I was frightened and I couldn't believe he was pointing the gun at me."

Armed officers then attended the property, with police finding a .22 calibre Webley Raider air rifle in Twist's car following a search.

Twist, who has six previous convictions, told police he was shooting at tins cans in the garden and passing pigeons.

He added that he 'didn't mean to scare anybody' and did not know that his neighbour, who videoed the incident on her mobile phone, was at the window.

After admitting firing an air weapon and causing alarm or distress, Twist was fined £275 and ordered to pay court costs of £85 plus a £30 victim surcharge.

Twist sighed and shook his head as he was sentenced by magistrates.

Forfeiture and destruction of the weapon was also ordered.