A MAN who pulled out a gun in a nightclub is behind bars after a judge told him: "You caused fear and panic."

George Stephenson was said to have held the imitation Glock pistol to somebody's neck in Harvey's Late Bar in Houndgate, Darlington.

Another drinker raised the alarm with a member of staff - who found the firearm tucked into the 21-year-old's waistband - and he was detained until the police arrived

Stephenson accepts the pistol could be seen by others, but maintains he did not hold it to anyone's neck.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the late-night incident came just ten days after he was arrested and bailed for stealing his grandmother's car and leading police on a chase around Darlington.

During the pursuit, Stephenson went through red lights in the Ford Focus, bounced over speed bumps, and "swerved violently", said prosecutor Harry Hadfield.

He dodged a spiked Stinger device laid down by police, and the drama only came to an end after the hatchback collided with a parked BMW on the Firthmoor estate.

Stephenson was breathalysed and had 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, said the spate of crimes last September followed the breakdown of a long-term relationship when the defendant turned to drink during a "troubled time".

After being arrested, Stephenson told officers: "I am fearing for my life now, that's why I'm carrying. I have got no choice."

Stephenson, of Lewes Road, Darlington, admitted possessing an imitation firearm, dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving with excess alcohol, and having no licence or insurance.

He was jailed for two years, and will be banned from the roads for two years once he has served his sentence.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton told him: "I've said time and again in this court that anyone who takes part in a pursuit with a police car and drives dangerously will receive a custodial sentence.

"I appreciate the problems you were having at the time and your mind was, in your words, in bits, however, this cannot and will not be overlooked.

"That gun may not have been capable of firing, but the problem with imitation firearms is that the people who see them do not realise they are imitation.

"There are numerous cases where armed response units are called, and people are put in great danger.You only have to look at offences that have happened in schools to see how people panic, and not unreasonably."