A CAERPHILLY man armed himself with a crossbow after receiving abuse from youths over allegations that he had committed a lewd act with a dog.

Robert Gwynne, 59, of Merchant Street, Pontlottyn, was jailed for a single charge of possessing a weapon with intent to cause violence at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday.

On the evening of March 20 this year, the defendant and his housemate David Jones had a falling out.

Prosecutor David Pugh told the court that Mr Jones had told members of the public at a nearby shop that he had walked in on Gwynne having sex with his dog.

“Mr Jones made the allegations and some local youths began causing difficulties for the defendant and he had a brick thrown through his window,” Mr Pugh said.

A woman living in a nearby street had told police that she had witnessed two teenage boys shouting abuse at Gwynne’s home.

Mr Pugh told the court that the witness then saw Gwynne shouting back, having been “provoked to react”.

He said: “The youths ran away and came back, and this repeated until the defendant said that he’ll go and get his gun. The boys continued to shout at him.

“Within seconds the defendant appeared at the window with a long-barrelled rifle, his finger on the trigger and pointing it towards the boys.”

Gwynne fired the unloaded rifle towards the youths to drive them from his house before following them down the street, the court heard.

In interview the defendant police that he had followed the boys up the hill in Merchant Street before coming back home and standing in the window with a crossbow.

Gwynne, denied the allegations made by Mr Jones.

Mr Pugh told the court that Gwynne had 48 convictions stretching as far back as 1974, including some for sexual offences and weapons-related offences.

Jeff Jones, defending, said there had been some confusion about whether the air rifle was a formal firearm but, upon hearing it was, his client had pleaded guilty.

“In his police statement he was accepting of all the factors and the eyewitness said that he was provoked and that it went on for a while,” said Mr Jones.

“The defendant has issues with his background, his lifestyle and his sexuality. He has been the butt of a lot of abuse in Pontlottyn in the last five years. This was the last straw and he did lose control.”

Prior to sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams told Gwynne: “You threatened to get a gun and when the youths continued you assembled your rifle and started discharging the firearm in the direction of the youths.

“You had lost your temper because, as you told police, 'the hormones had gotten the better of you'.”

Gwynne, who has been in custody since March, was jailed for 18 months.