Man denies pointing fake gun at a mother in masked gang incident

A MASKED man pointed a 'gun' at a terrified mother when she opened her front door, a court heard.

The woman told a jury she thought she might be shot and killed when three black-clad men called at her house.

She closed the door and the men ran away, Plymouth Crown Court was told.

Shane Cuzner, aged 21, denied possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause the woman fear of violence.

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The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court in a statement that she heard a loud knock at the front door of her Plymouth home at about 6.40pm on January 6.

She said she could not see anybody through the glass, but when she opened the door she was confronted by three men stood side-by-side wearing black clothes and balaclavas.

The woman said: "The man on the left had his right arm raised at me and he had an item which I suspect was a gun.

"He was holding the item like you would expect someone to hold the gun. I can't remember what was said, if anything.

"I feared he was going to shoot and kill me."

She said she closed the door after two or three seconds and the men were seen running away.

The woman added: "The incident has left me very frightened. I feared for the safety of me and my family."

David Gittins, opening the case for the Crown Prosecution Service at his trial, said a broken air pistol designed to fire ball bearings was later found in Cuzner's bedroom in Bodmin Road, Whitleigh.

He added a rucksack full of black clothes was also found at the address.

Mr Gittins said two others, John Reader, aged 18, of Clittaford Road, Southway, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. They are to be sentenced at a later date.

Cuzner, giving evidence, denied he was one of the three men who pointed the 'gun' at the woman.

He admitted he was with his friends Reader and the youth on the night of the incident.

Cuzner said they had "lost" Reader for about an hour that evening. He added when he saw his friend later at Whitleigh Bridge he was told there were police cars at his house.

Cuzner admitted the firearm seized from his home belonged to him and said he collected them.

The trial continues, with the jury expected to be sent out to consider its verdict today.