THE thrill-seeking teenage son of a well-to-do family, who pulled a gun in court in a bid for freedom, was jailed for three years yesterday.

Only a day after Old Bailey Judge Ann Goddard was left bruised and battered by a prisoner who jumped from the dock and attacked her, 18-year-old Richard Davies pulled a pistol at Harrogate Magistrates' Court.

York Crown Court heard how Davies, the son of the former Mayor of Boroughbridge, June Davies, had just been given a six-month sentence for 13 nuisance offences.

He admitted making false 999 calls, assaulting police, possessing an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour, burg-lary; taking his parents' car without consent and driving without tax or insurance.

He was about to be taken to the cells when he produced what appeared to be a real Beretta handgun.

Police, Group 4 staff and a psychiatric nurse jumped on Davies and managed to prise his hand open.

When experts examined the gun they found it was an exact replica, but was unable to fire.

Davies told police he intended to escape and did not want to go to jail. He used the gun to make people back off and realised he would put people in fear.

John Carroll, for Davies, said: "He is an extremely disturbed individual with a recognised medical condition."

Davies pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation handgun with intent to make believe unlawful violence would be used, and was sentenced to two and a half years detention in a young offender's institution.

He was also ordered to serve the original six month sentence imposed by the magistrates after abandoning an appeal against that - making a total of three years