Man held pistol to couple’s head on Pontefract street and threatened to shoot them

A man terrified a husband and wife by pointing a gun at their heads and threatening to shoot them on a Pontefract street.
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Mark Kitchen, 38, confronted the couple, aged in their 60s, as they walked along a dimly-lit path on Atkinson Lane shortly after they got off a train at Monkhill station on March 4 this year at 7.30pm.

Leeds Crown Court heard Kitchen committed the offence as part of his plan to get police officers to shoot him after a row with his girlfriend.

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Louise Gallagher, prosecuting, said Kitchen pulled out a large black pistol and aimed it at the husband’s head as his wife screamed in terror.

JAILED: Mark KitchenJAILED: Mark Kitchen
JAILED: Mark Kitchen

The woman fled and knocked on a nearby house where the homeowner found the woman in a hysterical state.

Kitchen left the area and the couple went to a nearby pub and called police. The defendant was arrested after being identified as the gunman.

Ms Gallagher said Kitchen had an argument with his girlfriend earlier that day and went to the pub.

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He drank 12 pints before returning home to get the pistol from his games room then went back out.

The court heard his partner had been trying to end their relationship as she was fed up with his behaviour.

The prosecutor said: “In interview he made full admissions.

“He said his initial motivation was to get the police to shoot him.”

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Kitchen, of Birch Green, Pontefract, admitted possession of an imitation firearm.

Richard Canning, mitigating, said Kitchen did intend to cause anyone distress and that he had suffered with “severe mental health problems”.

Kitchen was jailed for 32 months by Judge Robin Mairs said: “His wife was understandably terrified and, quite frankly, hysterical.

“The terror that was felt by the unfortunate victims would be that of anyone threatened with a firearm.”