A MAN accused of holding an imitation gun to the head of a six-year-old boy has told a court it was false.

Steven Poggiani told a jury yesterday he never had a weapon but admitted he had twice been prosecuted for threatening behaviour.

He said he had some Italian blood and did "have a bit of a temper sometimes".

The prosecution at Worcester Crown Court alleged 29-year-old Poggiani, of Kimberlee Avenue, Cookley, near Kidderminster, acted after the boy's father Maurice Puttock used a toy gun to threaten children playing in the street.

One victim was Poggiani's nephew and Mr Puttock was later sentenced by a judge to 150 hours community work, the jury heard.

Poggiani denies possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and setting fire to Mr Puttock's BMW car.

Giving evidence, the defendant said on August 21 last year he drank up to three pints of lager during the day and was given a lift home to his sister's house, opposite Mr Puttock's home in Elan Close, Cookley.

He said Mr Puttock was talking to a neighbour but smirked and made a remark which led to a 15-minute argument.

"I started to hurl abuse at him. You can only take so much," said Poggiani. "I was provoking him to perhaps hit me so I could act in self- defence."

But the defendant said no violence broke out and he never set foot on Mr Puttock's property where his car was parked.

Mr Puttock told the jury Poggiani pointed a black gun at him and shouted: "Bang, bang, you're dead."

Mrs Puttock alleged Poggiani wanted her husband jailed for his gun offence and sought revenge.

Mr Puttock confessed they ran into each other outside the courtroom. "He looked at me and my wife and smiled his head off. I just lost it and said: You're dead, you are."

The trial continues.