A homeless man who threatened and chased a member of the public with an imitation firearm has been jailed.
Wayne Prescott, aged 33, had been sleeping rough in Nottingham’s Curzon Street Car Park when he got into an argument with the man.
What was said between the two remains unknown, but CCTV footage captured at the scene showed Prescott get up from a sitting position before chasing the victim.
The footage, captured shortly after 7 am on 12 March this year, showed Prescott holding the gun in his right hand before pointing it directly at the victim.
Police arrived at the scene a short time later, and a BB gun was subsequently recovered from a nearby bin.
Prescott later pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
In the early hours of 13 March, he sought out a confrontation with a group of students outside the Victoria Centre before punching one of them in the face and knocking him to the ground.
He then threw punches at others in the group, who wanted no part in the violence.
Later the same day, he subjected a council worker to a torrent of racial abuse after the man asked him and a friend to move on from the car park.
He then headbutted the man in the face and punched him.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court in August, he also pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and racially aggravated assault.
Speaking at the same venue on Tuesday, his defence counsel explained the deep remorse felt by her client and stressed his ongoing efforts to withdraw from drugs.
Prescott, formerly of Nottingham, was jailed for 35 months.
Detective Constable Jess Dennis, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “There are three victims in this case who were each unlucky enough to come face to face with Prescott in Nottingham City Centre.
“One was threatened with a gun he had no reason to believe was an imitation, and two were violently assaulted while going about their lawful business.
“Prescott may have been homeless at the time of these offences, but that is no defence for the appalling behaviour he displayed.
“I am pleased he has now been handed a significant jail sentence and hope this case serves as a reminder to others about how seriously we take offences of this nature – particularly those involving imitation weapons.”
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