A POLISH man drove all the way from his homeland to Swindon to confront his estranged wife with a revolver in the glovebox of his car.

And Dariusz Koszynski, 45, who had a round for the weapon in his pocket and admitted he would have used the weapon, which was used for firing blanks and flares, to try to coerce her to return home with him was jailed for 14 months.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court: "The background to this is the defendant's wife had left him and come to this country in order to get away from him."

On February 1 this year she said his wife of 24 years had been out for lunch with a woman who had arranged for her to come to the UK to get away from him.

The friend received a phone call from Koszynski, who was upset and crying, and when she asked where he was she was shocked to hear him reply 'Swindon'.

The three then met up in Morrison's car park and when he drove off with his wife in the car the friend became worried and called the police, fearing he had kidnapped her.

Miss Marlow said the car was traced to the M5 near Kidderminster and when it was stopped officers found the gun in the glovebox.

When he was questioned he told police he had forgotten he had the PTB 841 .380 calibre blank firing gas gun in the car.

As well as the revolver officers found it was loaded with five rounds and another in his pocket.

She said his wife was spoken to and although she had seen the gun in the car she said she had not been taken against her will.

Koszynski, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm.

James Burke, defending, said the weapon was not illegal to possess in Poland and most of Europe and he forgot he had it when he set off from home.

He said it was also apparent that it was in such a state that it was incapable of firing a projectile because the barrel was partially blocked.

"There is no evidence that he brandished it or made any threats. The police were able to speak to his wife about whom there were concerns," he said.

"Had he been making threats with it one would expect that would have been disclosed to the police. But he wasn't and there is nothing of the sort."

He said his client had spent 132 days in custody on remand and urged the court to pass a jail term which would allow his release so he could go back to Poland.

Passing a 14 month jail sentence Recorder David Bartlett said: "For a long time you were continuing to say that you had completely forgotten that you had this firearm in your car.

"But you do now recognise and accept that you discovered its presence during your journey from Poland to England.

"It is said on your behalf that such a weapon may not be prohibited in Poland or other countries in Europe.

"I do not know whether that is true or not but what I do know and you should know is that UK laws about firearms are very severe, much more severe than many other countries, and they are understandably strict for very good reasons. So you have properly pleaded guilty to this offence.

"I can't exclude the realistic probability I have found that you possessed the firearm to assist you coerce your wife in coming back to Poland."