EX-SOLDIER JAILED FOR FIRING IMITATION PISTOL AT WIFE IN POWYS

A former soldier, traumatised by his active service in Northern Ireland, was sentenced to a year in prison after firing a pistol three times at his wife. The pistol was found to be an imitation and firing blanks, but the defendant, David Robert Vaun, had threatened to kill his wife Ruth Vaun and frightened her. The court was told that Vaun was under additional stress after an employee of his security company died. Vaun, aged 47 at the time of the incident in Newtown, Powys, admitted to making a threat to kill and possessing an imitation pistol with intent to cause fear of violence. Judge John Rogers QC stated that the offences involving firearms often result in custodial sentences to deter and protect the public, but in Vaun's case, there was mitigation due to his depression, early guilty plea, military record, and hardworking nature. The sentence was less severe because of these factors. The court heard that Vaun, married to Ruth for over 20 years, had previous periods apart and had become concerned about his increased drinking. On February 8, after a discussion about their relationship, Vaun, distressed from the death of a company employee during an investigation, became aggressive and threatened her. He then fired three blank shots from an imitation pistol while she and others fled the house in fear.