A University of Kent student has risked three years of study in a moment of “pure, bloody silliness” pretending to be Al Capone.

“Devout” churchgoer Kwamina Bomdzie was just weeks away from graduating when he aimed a “realistic-looking” gun at a total stranger.

Now, instead of doing his finals this May, he is languishing in prison for his moment of stupidity.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how the 22 year old posed as “a gangster like Al Capone” to terrify innocent victim Leon Hebron as he walked along Palace Street in the city in March last year.

Bomdzie, of Brymore Road, Canterbury stopped his car, and while wearing a hoodie went to the boot and produced the weapon.

He then pointed it at his frightened victim and pushed it into his stomach, for what his barrister described as “pure bloody silliness”.

Prosecutor Don Ramble told how Mr Hebron, also a student, had been drinking in Canterbury’s Old Brewery Tavern and had been making his way home at 2.30am.

It was then that Bomdzie drove past in a hired car, parked and confronted his terrified victim with the fake weapon.

Mr Hebron asked him: “What are you doing?” fearing he was about to be shot, the prosecutor added.

The victim later told police that the weapon was held towards him and then pushed into his chest by the total stranger.

“I was absolutely terrified because I had never seen the man before. I really thought he was going to shoot me, “ Mr Hebron told officers.

After putting the weapon in the car, he walked away to visit friends and was later arrested when police also discovered a small amount of cocaine in the vehicle.

“This is one of the silliest crimes to come before this court..it was done in pure bloody silliness” - Piers Wanchope, defending

He added that Bomdzie was trying to behave "like a gangster like Al Capone... for between five to 10 seconds".

Judge James O’Mahony told him: “You are on the threshold of graduation this summer. Your whole life is before you. You are intelligent and generally law-abiding.

“References tell me that you are a devout churchgoer and you come from a good family, an athlete and a boxer and are hard-working.

“But Mr Hebron was innocently on his way home after enjoying a night out. These are dangerous times and the appearance of you in a hoodie with a realistic-looking gun was terrifying.

“Your barrister referred to you as behaving like a gangster... well that was probably what you looked like. It was described as the silliest of offences, which is not to minimise it.”

The judge jailed him for nine months for possessing an imitation firearm - a BB gun - and added he hoped that after serving the sentence, Bomdzie would be able to resume his studies at the university.