A Suffolk man who waved a gun at police officers and told them he wanted to be shot has been jailed for 42 months.

Officers went to a property in Sudbourne on November 25 last year and saw John Lavin “frantically” waving a black pistol out of a window, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

They tried to persuade him to drop the gun but Lavin threw beer bottles at them and told them to come and get him, said Jane Oldfield, prosecuting.

Eventually Lavin came out of the house and walked towards the officers, ignoring requests for him to stop.

He was aggressive and shouting and officers discharged a baton gun which hit him in the stomach but didn’t stop him.

Lavin got into a car and drove at speed at the police officers and ended up in a hedge, said Miss Oldfield.

After his arrest officers formed the view he was drunk and took him to hospital where he refused to provide a breath specimen for analysis.

He told officers: “I wanted to be shot. That’s why I waved the gun.”

The gun, which turned out to be a BB gun, was found in a bath.

Lavin, 45, of The Close, Sudbourne, admitted dangerous driving, possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, affray and possessing a knife.

In addition to being jailed for a total of 42 months, he was banned from driving for 45 months.

Miss Oldfield said that in October Lavin’s estranged wife Tracey woke up to find him breaking into her home and when he came upstairs he grabbed her by the neck and squeezed so hard she struggled to breathe.

She fled from the house and when police officers arrived, Lavin threatened to kill a woman officer if she didn’t remove her foot from the door. He had then armed himself with a kitchen knife and threatened to kill anyone who came near him.

He was eventually persuaded to drop the knife and was handcuffed after armed officers trained tasers on him.

Paul Donegan, for Lavin, said his client had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and he had been referred to the Norvic Clinic in Norwich.

He said Lavin’s 20 year marriage had ended in 2016.