A man threatened to blow up a pub in Whitefield and then tried to rob a takeaway with an imitation firearm.

Jack Higson, 28, of Jackson Street, Whitefield, went out to the New Grove Inn on Bury New Road on August 28 last year after having a disagreement with his partner.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that before he arrived at the pub and also while he was in the pub, he consumed a large amount of alcohol and was under the influence of cocaine.

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Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said that while at the pub, Higson got into an argument with a man and CCTV footage showed him as being extremely annoyed, trying to punch another person and also threatening to shoot someone.

Ms Boocock said: “The argument continued, and Higson picked up a gas cylinder and was threatening to blow up the pub.”

Higson then went into the beer garden and started throwing furniture around before eventually leaving the pub, the court was told.

He started walking down Bury New Road and was spotted with an imitation firearm.

A member of the public witnessed this and called 999, believing it was a real gun.

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Higson then entered a takeaway where staff said they immediately recognised him as a previous customer.

Although he was waving a firearm around, they said they did not feel very threatened but were slightly alarmed.

Also in the takeaway was a man called Scott Higgins and his mother-in-law who immediately believed the firearm was a real gun.

Ms Boocock said: “Higson walked straight up to Mr Higgins and held the gun up to his nose and said, ‘give me the f****** money, give me the till’.

“Mr Higgins said he didn’t work at the takeaway and Higson then turned his attention towards the staff.”

The court was told Higson demanded staff to give him money, which they refused to do.

He then pushed the till monitor off the counter before walking out of the takeaway.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Higgins said: “I felt sure the gun was real and I felt very scared at the time.”

He added that he had heightened anxiety for several weeks after and had disrupted sleep waking up feeling flustered and anxious.

He went to his GP and was prescribed diazepam to calm his anxiety.

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Defending, Adam White told the court that Higson had a disagreement that evening, he consumed alcohol and cocaine and lost his temper.

He had never committed an offence of such seriousness before and the incident in the takeaway was a "moment of madness" as he was enraged and drunk.

Mr White added that Higson’s attempted robbery of the takeaway was not premeditated, and it was just a drunk and foolish decision.

Although he does have history of offending, the incident last August was the most serious offence and he does have tendencies of impulsive behaviour.

It was also said the behaviour was out of character.

Judge Bernadette Baxter said that Higson had the good sense to plead guilty at the first opportunity however after losing his temper at the pub his first thought should have been to go home but he didn’t.

She added: “The incident at the takeaway had a significant effect on Mr Higgins for a period of time.

“It must be obvious that only immediate custody can be justified.”

After he admitted to attempted robbery and affray, Judge Baxter jailed Higson for 38 months.

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