A man has appeared in court after walking towards a children’s play area holding a gun.
Police launched a major search after receiving multiple calls on August 17, with fearful members of the public reporting seeing a man with a weapon in the Gaywood Road and Loke Road areas of King’s Lynn.
Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told there had been numerous children in the play area when the man walked through at 11am with what appeared to be a handgun.
Josephine Jones, prosecuting, said: “A witness saw him raising his hands in the air as if he was loading the weapon and then continuing to walk towards the play area.”
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Other witnesses had alerted police, describing a gunman walking through busy streets.
“A witness saw him walking along Loke Road holding what appeared to be a black handgun down by his side with his finger on the trigger,” said Ms Jones.
Michael O’Neill, 35, from Lowfield, was eventually arrested more than eight hours later at a nearby Aldi store. Police discovered an air-powered BB gun and ball bearing ammunition in his rucksack.
He told police he had bought it from an army and navy shop five days before, with staff informing him he did not need a permit to own it.
He admitted he would take it with him on daily walks and fire it at targets or empty buildings if he was feeling stressed, said Ms Jones.
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Appearing before the court in custody, O'Neill pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm.
Michael Cole, mitigating, said: “It was a BB gun and he neither used it or had any intention of using it.”
But Ms Jones told magistrates: “The concern has to be, in view of recent events, members of the public were not to know it was an initiation gun.”
Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report telling him that all options were open, including being sent to prison.
He will be sentenced on October 18.
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