AN ex-company director turned into a "raging" gunman and brought terror to a quiet beauty spot after he believed a car had tried to run his wife off the road, a jury heard.

The court was told David Gawthorpe, 60, allegedly got a double-barrelled shotgun from his gun cupboard, went to the picnic area and loaded it in his Land Rover Discovery.

He then pointed it in the faces of the three men he thought responsible for nearly killing her through their open car window as they sat off Ridehalgh Lane, Burnley.

One of the trio, Bilal Ahmed, told the court he felt terrified, shocked and threatened.

Mr Ahmed said: "It is a picnic spot. People go there to enjoy the view. You don't expect to go there and people start pulling shotguns at you."

Gawthorpe, of Halifax Road, Briercliffe, denies possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, in February.

Mr Ahmed, who told Burnley Crown Court, he and his two friends had been parked up for about half an hour, said Gawthorpe was waving the weapon around and "going on," about his wife. He touched their car bonnet to see if it was still hot.

The driver told him they had been parked there for some time.

Mr Ahmed claimed Gawthorpe told them there was no other car with Asians in that area.

Mr Ahmed, questioned by Michael Lavery, prosecuting, said Gawthorpe then drove off, parked in his driveway and stood there still staring as they drove past.

The alleged victim said they went to the police station and took an officer to point out the defendant's house.

Robert Trevor-Jones, defending suggested Mr Ahmed and his friends delayed reporting the matter to police because they were exaggerating it and knew they had been involved in the incident involving Gawthorpe's wife.

The barrister alleged they had been messing around and had caused Mrs Gawthorpe's car, to end up mounting a verge. "As you drove past the Discovery, you were all laughing and making hand gestures," he said.

Mr Ahmed replied: "None of that happened."

Mr Trevor-Jones said:" The only threat was that he had your registration number and that he was going to report it to the police." Mr Ahmed said: "I don't remember that." Mr Trevor-Jones alleged: "The defendant never loaded it. It was never pointed at you or any of you in the car.

"There was no threat about your lives being in danger."

The alleged victim replied: "Yes there was."

Giving evidence, Gawthorpe told the jury he took the shotgun for protection.

He was frightened he would be "injured or worse" and at the time thought he was justified in taking the weapon out.

Gawthorpe said he now regretted the incident, saying: "I have had nine months of sheer hell because of this."

(Proceeding)