
A terrified taxi driver thought it was his "last day on earth" when an intoxicated customer pointed an air rifle at him following a fare dispute in the early hours of the morning.
Dominic Trynka-Watson, 40, (pictured) had been dropped off at his home in Newton upon Derwent after taking a ride from York when the driver approached his door to collect the unpaid £26.80 fare.
Twenty seconds later, Trynka-Watson emerged from a side door carrying a black, long-barrelled Remington Thunder air rifle and walked towards the vehicle.
The driver quickly reversed and sped away, fearing he would be shot from behind. Police later arrested Trynka-Watson and seized the air rifle, alongside another air rifle, a crossbow, knives, and shotgun cartridges.
The driver stated that the frightening five-second ordeal left him completely shocked, scared, and unable to sleep properly due to recurring nightmares.
Hull Crown Court heard that the defendant had been heavily drinking at a birthday party and had only a vague recollection of his reckless behaviour.
Trynka-Watson, who admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, was handed a fifteen-month suspended prison sentence, two hundred hours of unpaid work, and twenty days of rehabilitation.
He was also ordered to pay £561 in total compensation and lost earnings, alongside a one hundred and eighty-seven pound victim surcharge, while the air rifle is slated for destruction.

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