It led to a six-hour stand-off with armed police and terrified staff at Dover’s Mowll and Mowll solicitors’ office in Whitfield.

But now a judge has heard that the only person desperate gunman Christopher Childs wanted to shoot was himself!

The 42-year-old father later revealed how he had lost a hearing in the family court – and just wanted to know why things had gone wrong.

But Judge Heather Norton took pity on Childs after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence against him on a charge of possessing a firearm intending people to fear violence.

Instead, Childs, of Westbury Road, Dover, admitted a lesser charge of having the air rifle in a public place and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

She told him: “Taking a weapon and ammunition into a public place is a very serious matter. The effects on those who see the gun can be extreme.

“People take weapons into a public place for many reasons...they are almost always bad ones!”

Siobahn Molloy, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court how Childs had gone to the solicitors’ office in Dover at 4 pm on August 16 last year.

He was dishevelled and wearing his slippers and, clutching court papers, asked to speak to Eileen Sutton his solicitor but was told she was with a client.

It was then he told a member of staff: “I am no danger to you, madam, but you need to call police. It ends now!”

He then sat down in a meeting room and as his lawyer was told of his presence, another member of staff saw Childs point a gun at his mouth.

“Ms Sutton then activated the fire alarm to clear the building and the police were called by another member of staff who later admitted she was petrified.”

Childs sat with the gun on his lap, telling staff: “I am not going..call the police”.

The judge heard that Childs was regarded as mentally unstable and had had “numerous” meetings with his lawyers during his family court case in which he had talked about his suicidal thoughts.

He had been referred to the Mental Health Team and Ms Sutton had booked him an appointment.

After his arrest he told officers he was “extremely remorseful” but he had been “extremely frustrated with the family court process.

Childs said he didn’t think the trial had been conducted fairly and wanted to sit down with his lawyers and discuss the case.

He held the unloaded gun to his neck and said he had no intention of hurting anyone else but said he didn’t know what else to do.

Childs – who wept throughout the hearing - told officers he had used all his money on court fees and legal advice and realised it had been the wrong way to tackle his frustration.

Defence barrister Craig Evans said the staff at Mowll and Mowll had been very good to Childs, who had praised them - despite the outcome of the case

“He is extremely remorseful and wants to apologise to staff for the effects of his action.”

Childs has since attended counselling to help with his mental problems and the judge praised the staff at the solicitor’s office.

“They clearly had anxiety about what was happening but they were more concerned about you,” she added.