Sheffield man, 42, put 'gun' to housemate's head after row over television and cigarettes
It was said in court that Joel Barnett had not been getting on with his housemates prior to the incident
A man who had two air guns in his bedroom put one of them to his housemates head after an argument.
Joel Barnett was living in a house of multiple occupants (HMO) with three other people when the incident took place last March.
Sheffield Crown Court heard during a sentencing hearing that 42-year-old Barnett did not get on with his housemates, but things boiled over on the night of March 22.
Prosecuting Barrister Zaiban Alam said that the trio had gone downstairs to watch television before Barnett came down to talk to them.
“He said that he wanted to join them,” Ms Alam explained, adding that he went on to ask for a cigarette.
When they said no he “removed a gun from his jacket,” Ms Alam said, putting it against one of their heads.
They managed to push him out of the room and contacted their letting agent, who reached out to the police and came to arrest Barnett.
He was described as being drunk when arrested, Ms Alam told the court, with him telling officers he didn’t use the gun in a “threatening manner” and instead was suggesting they “shoot targets in the garden.”
Police found two air guns in his attic bedroom, including a rifle and handgun.
He was ultimately charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Defence barrister Richard Barradell had said that his client voluntarily chosen to go to counselling which was “going well.”
He told the court that Barnett had spent 257 days on remand or curfew, arguing that would cover the length of his custodial sentence.
“All of us can appreciate how difficult it is to get along in a domestic situation,” Judge Peter Hampton said when passing sentence.
He went on to say: “But what we don’t do, which is what you did, is put a gun to somebody’s head.”
The judge said the situation “must have been scary” for the others in the house.
However, he agreed with Mr Barradell, saying that if a community order or suspended sentence was passed it was “effectively punishing [Barnett] twice.”
Barnett, of Blagden Street, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment.
Judge Hampton sent him to cells, but said that once his papers were processed he could leave the court.