Man fired toy gun at Ulverston foodbank volunteers

FOODBANK volunteers in Ulverston were left fearing for their lives after a man pulled out a gun and fired it at them.

John Dillon pleaded guilty to a public order offence when he appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court in Barrow yesterday.

The court heard Dillon had gone to the foodbank at the Bethany Christian Church in Lightburn Road on April 11.

He presented a foodbank voucher which had expired five weeks earlier and when staff told him they were unable to accept it Dillon “launched into a tirade of abuse”, prosecutor Pam Ward said.

“Volunteer Gillian Ransom said she was working in the foodbank and about 11.15am the defendant came in,” Mrs Ward said.

“He was greeted and offered a cup of tea. He seemed very agitated and kept getting up.

“The voucher had been issued by St Mark’s Church in Barrow but was five weeks out of date.

“Mrs Ransom told the defendant they could not accept the voucher and he launched into a tirade of abuse towards her, saying ‘it’s a waste of space’ and ‘you are all useless’.”

Mrs Ransom said Dillon, of Larch Grove in Ulverston, then “produced some sort of firearm from his bag and pointed it at me and I saw sparks”.

John Dillon Pic: Leanne Bolger

Dillon then left the foodbank and was seen walking down the middle of the road shouting profanities.

“In interview he told police he was sorry and it was silly to get the toy gun out and fire it,” Mrs Ward added.

 Andy Gallagher, mitigation, said Dillon, a paranoid schizophrenic, had gone into town earlier to buy the toy gun for one of his children.

“At the moment he is having issues with his anger when he becomes upset,” Mr Gallagher said.

“He understands it was completely unacceptable.”

District Judge Gerald Chalk said: “I am concerned that the victim in this case was vulnerable, she was providing a public service and for you to then abuse her and then produce what may have been a weapon and fired it must have been terrifying.”

Dillon was given a six-week curfew between 8pm and 6am