A Willaston man who threatened to shoot a taxi driver has been handed a suspended sentence.

Stephen Arthur Dockerill, of Sulby Road, was sentenced to 12 weeks custody suspended for two years by Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £889.60 to the owner of the taxi and £125 prosecution costs.

The court heard how, on January 6 at 11.27pm, a ’999’ call was received from Telecabs taxis saying that a driver had been threatened and his car damaged.

When police spoke to the taxi driver he said that he had picked up Dockerill and his wife at 11.10pm in Pulrose.

It was said that Dockerill, aged 50, appeared drunk and asked to go to his home address in Sulby Road, Willaston.

On route, Dockerill began talking to he driver and said: ’So do you think you’re smart?’

The driver said ’no’ but Dockerill contiued saying: ’I’m going to shoot you.’

His wife tried to defuse the situation saying, ’Take no notice, he doesn’t even have a gun.’

Once at Sulby Road the woman fell out of the taxi as the couple were getting out and the driver tried to help her.

As he returned to his taxi Dockerill followed him and got back in.

He then yanked the interior mirror which came off and subsequently damaged the windscreen in the process.

Dockerill threw the mirror out of the taxi.

The driver told him he was calling the police but Dockerill said that he didn’t care.

Defending Dockerill in court his advocate Ian Kermode said: ’My client didn’t intend to damage the mirror or the windscreen. It was a reckless act rather than any intent. He grabbed it, he doesn’t really why, and can only assume he was angry about a personal matter. He didn’t touch the driver. He fully accepts the driver would have been alarmed by the ’shoot’ comment.

’It was a single hand movement. He waited for the police and didn’t run off.

’There are many convictions up to 2012.

’But he has considerably settled down over the last five years, his alcohol intake has reduced.’

Mr Kermode said that Dockerill was the sole carer for his wife, who suffered from Fibromyalgia, Sciatica and depression.

A letter was handed in to the court from Dockerill’s wife in praise of everything she said he did for her as her carer.

The court ,heard that Dockerill ,had no convictions for five years.

A letter of apology from Dockerill, read out by his advocate, said: ’It frustrates me after all these years to be in court due to stupidity on my behalf.’