A MAN who made 100 nuisance phone calls to the police and pointed an air gun towards officers has been banned from calling 999 and keeping weapons.

A court heard how armed police were called to Cavendish Park in Barrow after Matthew Craig was found on the playing fields at night with a air rifle.

Magistrates heard police were so concerned when they found the defendant pointing his green laser sight in their direction at the Barrow Island sports club that they called for the armed response unit.

The 24-year-old defendant admitted a charge of trespassing on land with an air weapon as well as wasteful employment of police.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard the defendant called police on 999 and 101 with false reports 100 times between July 1 2019 and March 28 2020.

He trespassed at Cavendish Park, owned by Barrow Island Community Sports Trust, on February 19.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre told the court: “The defendant was in possession of a weapon meaning an armed response unit had to be deployed because of concerns.

“Officers could see a green laser coming towards them. The defendant then fired the gun into the ground.”

He said the defendant and the wider public could have been endangered because armed officers ‘shoot to kill, not to injure’.

Mr Dacre said police found two air rifles and a BB gun in the defendant’s home.

In mitigation, Karen Templeton said Craig, who was previously a pupil at a special needs school, had learning difficulties.

“He has limited understanding of what he was doing,” she said.

Magistrates imposed a three year criminal behaviour. Under the terms of the order Craig is banned from possessing air weapons or firearms, banned from calling 999 or 101 unless in a genuine emergency and is ordered to hand over any other firearms in his possession.

Craig was also handed a curfew, forcing him to stay at his home in Barrow’s Steamer Street between 7pm and 7am for the next eight weeks.