He said to her: 'Have you called the armed police?' and she said 'no', to which he replied 'you better, because I'm going to get my gun'

"When the police were called, rather than going upstairs and sleeping it off you made the threat about getting a gun and you did. When your son intervened you pointed the air pistol at him and he feared you might fire it at him.

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"Your son and partner locked themselves in the bedroom because they were frightened about what you would do to them. When the police arrived you sensibly handed it over but had you not, you could have been shot yourself as they did not know if that gun was real or not.

"Your son and partner's victim impact statements indicate how miserable their lives had become and how much better they are now you are not there. How tragic that is."

Abigail Hill, prosecuting, said the incident took place at the marital home in Devitt Drive, on January 4, this year.

She said the defendant and his wife have been married from 25 and have children together.

The prosecutor said: “His wife describes how at the time the relationship was precarious, almost exclusively due to his alcohol intake.