BUSINESSMAN Leslie Probert challenged armed police officers to shoot him in a tense stand-off at his £250,000 Bere Alston home, Plymouth Crown Court heard last week.

Probert, 51, moved to West Devon to embrace a country lifestyle but ensuing financial pressures led to a nervous breakdown, the court heard. It led to a 14-hour stand-off with the police armed response team last August.

Probert, who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, was sent to prison for 18 months.

The court heard that in one year the IT recruitment consultant's business profits plummeted from £85,000 to just £10,000 and he was feeling increasingly stressed by his predicament.

On the night of August 10, his partner, Susan Hendry found a note on an empty shotgun case in the hall. She realised Probert was upstairs with the weapon and he had been drinking.

Prosecuting, Robert Linford said she called the police and left the house with her parents. Armed response units were called.

During the course of the incident, Ms Hendry received several threatening calls or messages from Probert on her mobile telephone.

The court heard that eight or ten shots were fired indiscriminately out of the window as daylight came and officers surrounding the four-bedroom house felt the pellets on their trousers and boots.

At one point, Probert turned up the stereo and as loud classical music played, he stood at the window and shouted several times for officers to shoot him but they held their fire.

Mr Linford said Probert was crying, out of control. He started to throw things out of the window and was banging himself about the head.

Two officers believed Probert was about to take his own life and both called out to him. It was after that plea that Probert threw the weapon out of the window and gave himself up.

Mr Linford paid tribute to the calm and professional approach of the Devon and Cornwall Police fire arms team who did not return a single shot and added: 'It was a miracle that no-one — including the defendant — was injured, or worse.'

Defending, Mr Llewellyn Sellick said Probert had been a man in despair at the time of the incident.

On the night of the offence he felt 'very resentful' and sought comfort in bottles of whisky and port. The mounting problems caused him to 'snap', said Mr Sellick.

For a long time while the police were outside he did nothing other than make phone calls, said Mr Sellick. Later on, he urged police officers to kill him, he said and added: 'This was the result of an emotional breakdown as opposed to a criminal venture.'

Recorder Michael Selfe said firing the shots may not have been intended to endanger life but described the act as 'outrageous, putting tremendous fear in others, bearing in mind the nature of the weapon you had.'

The Recorder added, after hearing his circumstances and his guilty plea, he had reduced the length of sentence he originally intended to give, said an immediate custodial sentence was justified.