A furious householder who pointed an air rifle at noisy workmen outside his home has won a three month cut in his jail sentence.

John Dixon Tucker of Spicer Street, was jailed for nine months at St Albans Crown Court on December 7 after pleading guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

London's Criminal Appeal Court cut that term to six months last Thursday (February 13) after hearing how the 47-year-old was deeply depressed at the time because he feared he might be forced out of the parental home following the death of his mother.

Judges rejected a claim that Tucker should not have been jailed at all, saying the offence was one of considerable gravity.

Mr Justice Jackson said: "A sentence of nine months imprisonment was longer than necessary.

"This is having regard to the personal mitigation and to the fact that this particular offence comes somewhere down the scale of firearms offences."

On the afternoon of August 19 last year, two workmen were working on a gas pipe on the street outside Tucker's home.

The defendant was seen talking to neighbours.

He then went into the house, opened a window and shouted: "Keep it quiet do you want to die?"

The workmen ignored him and he yelled again before leaning out of the window with the air rifle, held as if he had them in his sights.

They left the street and alerted the police who arrested Tucker.

Challenging the sentence, Tucker's lawyers argued that the weapon, which had belonged to his late father, was incapable of being used because of corrosion.

But Mr Justice Jackson rejected claims that the "robust" workmen did not have any real fear of Tucker and didn't take his threats seriously.

One workman had described how he turned away from the defendant so that if he fired the gun the pellet would strike his back and cause only limited injury.

Mr Justice Jackson said: "They saw someone who appeared to be somewhat unstable.

"He pointed what appeared to be a firearm and they would be genuinely concerned that injury would be sustained."

But referring to Tucker's mitigation, the judge acknowledged his previous good character and a report stating he posed a low risk of re-offending.

"He lived all his life with both parents," said the judge.

"His father died a few years prior to this and his mother just two months before the offence.

"At the time he was grieving.

"He was in a very distressed state it seems about whether he could remain in the parental home.

"This was a difficult time in his life.

"On the afternoon when the offence occurred he had consumed five Valium and several pints of beer."