A FATHER who threatened to shoot a man he accused of flirting with his partner has been jailed for nine months.

Anthony Couchman was told by a judge: "We live in dangerous times. The message has to be sent out to the community that people cannot carry guns and expect to get away without a non-custodial sentence."

The 42-year-old, who has had a triple heart bypass, collapsed last month when a jury convicted him of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Paramedics again had to be called to Maidstone Crown Court on Friday when Couchman, who denied the charge, started coughing up blood before the sentencing hearing.

The jury heard that he had been in a relationship with Fiona Masters for about 18 years and they had three children.

Miss Masters worked as a care assistant at a Hartley home and became friendly with colleague David Goodchild.

Couchman became suspicious and while Miss Masters was out on November 4, 2003, he looked in her diary and found Mr Goodchild’s telephone number and address.

Mr Goodchild told how he was at home in Cranbrook that evening when he answered the door to a man he did not recognise.

He said Couchman accused him of flirting with his partner or having an affair with her. Couchman called over his daughter and said: "Tell this man what we will do if he doesn’t stop seeing mum."

"He came right up to me and lifted up his fleece," said the victim. "I saw a gun tucked inside his trousers. He said 'This is going in there' and poked me forcefully between the eyes."

The daughter stepped forward, gave Mr Goodchild a "backhander" around the face and told him to leave her mother alone.

Judge Philip Statman told Couchman, of Tory Row, Hartenoak, Cranbrook, that jealousy led him to go to Mr Goodchild’s home and threaten him.

"The aggravating feature is that you took with you your own daughter," he said. "I accept that this offence is now old and there has been no further trouble.

"You have, I accept, serious health problems. But you have no insight as to the nature of your offending conduct."

The judge added: "It seems to me that what I can do is reflect all the mitigating factors in keeping the sentence very much to the bottom end of the tariff."