THIS was the scene which led a passer-by to fear she was going to be shot in Oxford’s Frideswide Square.

She called police after spotting a man brandishing what looked like a sub-machine gun outside the Said Business School.

Antonio Jones was waving the weapon in front of passers-by and even hailed a bus with it before officers arrived at the scene and tackled him to the ground.

But the gun turned out to be a plastic toy.

The incident took place at about 11.15am on Thursday, October 20, last year while Jones was on bail for another incident where he had been arrested for wielding a toy gun.

The 45-year-old was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday, having earlier admitted two charges of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing cannabis and theft.

Roger Coventry, prosecuting, told the court said police were first alerted by the woman, who said she was thinking “Please, God, don’t shoot me” when she saw Jones.

He was eventually detained by an unarmed police officer.

Mr Coventry added that the Italian-born defendant, who has 41 previous offences to his name, was first arrested on August 25 at a West London pub, after the manager spotted him inside the bar after closing for the night.

Mr Coventry said Jones “appeared to have a gun, he even appeared to be doing something about loading it”.

He added: “It was a toy, as it happened, but also found on him was a key fob used to open the tills.”

Jones, of Speedwell Street, Oxford, was also found with a small amount of cannabis, a controlled drug, he said.

Joanne Berry, defending, said her client was mentally unwell and was “clearly disordered in his mind” at the time of the offences.

Miss Berry said Jones was currently making very good progress during treatment at Littlemore Hospital.

Judge Christopher Compston said: “If you look at that photograph you might well think ‘my goodness me, he’s a very dangerous man’.”

He imposed a hospital order under the Mental Health Act, keeping Jones at Littlemore until his condition improves.