A TEENAGER who threatened a woman with an imitation firearm has been remanded in custody.

Scott Symonds pointed the air weapon, which looks like a real gun, into the face of victim Katherine Messen, a court heard.

The 18-year-old admitted a charge of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and criminal damage to a van belonging to John Begley.

But he denied an allegation of common assault to Miss Messen and criminal damage to a door belonging to Maria Messen.

A judge at Swindon Crown Court heard that Symonds, of Semley Walk, Penhill, pleaded guilty to the most serious offence on a certain basis.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting said that Symonds opened the front door of Miss Messen's home to her when she got home from work on Saturday, March 3.

"The crown said that he pushed her, causing her to fall on to the stairs. That's the common assault.

"His basis of plea says she pushed past him, then she fell on the stairs," she said.

"The second significant difference is the use of the gun. The crown's witnesses are consistent that the gun was pushed into Katherine Messen's face, having fallen on to the stairs.

"The defendant merely says he pointed it at her head but didn't connect with her."

Rob Ross, defending, said that his client accepted that the air weapon, a Skif A3000, looked like a real gun and would have terrified the victim.

Using his hand to demonstrate he said: "Does it make any difference whether it was there or here? Twelve inches away from her face is what he said.

"It is as frightening 12 inches away or put close to someone's face. He has always been consistent saying 12 inches away and he's been consistent saying he pointed it towards her.

"He accepts he pointed what could have been a real weapon at someone's face."

Mr Ross said that Symonds was currently in custody after breaching his bail and is now serving a sentence for breaching a community order for other offences.

He said the current sentence would finish at the end of July so, should the court want to impose a non-custodial sentence for the latest offences, it could only start then.

Judge Charles Wade ruled that the conflict as to whether the gun was held close to the victim's head or a foot away would not make a difference to sentence so said that a hearing to decide the facts was not needed.

"I would have thought having a weapon held 12 inches away from your face would be even more terrifying than having it held against your cheek," he said.

Symonds was remanded in custody until Friday, July 6, and the judge ordered a pre-sentence report to be compiled by the probation service.