A RANTING man who pointed a gun at people in the middle of Bradford while shouting he was part of the Irish Mafia was today jailed at Bradford Crown Court.

Levi Warnock was downing up to six litres of cider a day when he frightened passers-by with the BB weapon before threatening police officers with violence.

Warnock, 33, who was living in Lister Road, East Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence at 8pm on November 4, 2020.

His barrister, Rebecca Young, conceded that it is frightening in this day and age to come across anyone with a gun.

“No one is able to assume it isn’t real,” she said.

The court heard that Warnock was in breach of a 16-week suspended sentence order imposed at Coventry Magistrates’ Court for assaulting a police officer and damaging a police car and a police cell.

He pleaded guilty to the Bradford offence at his first appearance at the crown court and was sentenced on a video link after being remanded in custody since April.

Recorder Ashley Serr said Warnock was waving and pointing the gun and shouting that he was part of the Irish Mafia.

After a woman waiting for a taxi raised the alarm he made racist comments to arresting police officers and threatened them with violence.

Miss Young said he was ‘under the influence of an enormous amount of alcohol.’ While in prison he had been seen by a psychologist and a psychiatrist and he had been sober for months.

His mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, had played a part in his offending, Miss Young said.

It was a general rant with the gun rather than being directed at anyone in particular. He told the police he found it and he got rid of it before he was arrested.

Warnock had insight into how dangerous and frightening his behaviour was and wished to apologise.

The father of two young children, he had made great strides in custody and he was determined to turn his life around.

He was a wing cleaner in HMP Leeds and he worked in the servery. He had the offer of building work on his release.

The court heard that his 15 previous convictions were mostly committed in drink.

Recorder Serr sentenced Warnock to six months’ imprisonment and activated 14 weeks of the suspended sentence consecutively.