A former soldier who repeatedly threatened to kill police officers in a Raoul Moat-style shooting has been jailed for two years.

Ian George Willis pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to two charges of making threats to kill police officers.

Willis, aged 30, of Bracebridge Street, Nuneaton, also asked for two further offences of making threats to kill to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Iain Willis said the offences related to four 999 calls made by Willis on the evening of November 17 last year after they were called to a domestic incident at his home.

There was no-one at the address when they arrived, and as they were making enquiries in the area the force control room received several calls from the defendant.

“The calls were extremely threatening.  He said he was declaring war on Warwickshire Police and would shoot dead the first officer he saw.

“He said he had a 9mm firearm and three rounds of ammunition; and he referred to the Raoul Moat incident in Northumbria.  He said he was a trained marksman and had served in the Armed Forces.”

With the Moat incident fresh in their minds, the police took the calls and the threats to them very seriously, said Mr Willis.

Insp David Wilson, a trained negotiator, called Willis and engaged him in conversation, during which Willis continually repeated his threat to shoot the first officer he saw.

He said he had a firearm and would use it against the armed response unit.

Willis was traced to an address in Norman Avenue, and when he was arrested there it was found he had no gun or ammunition, and his “very convincing” threats had been hollow.

The prosecutor added that Willis had convictions for blackmail, public order offences and robberies and has been recalled to prison to continue serving a 40-month term imposed in November 2008, from which he was on licence at the time.

Nick Devine, defending, said: “He knows it is going to be custody.  There are no psychiatric issues.  There are no factors other than that on that night he was very, very drunk.”

Mr Devine said Willis had been in the Armed Forces until the late 1990s. He said when he left he struggled to find an identity for himself or a place in society.

Recorder Oscar del Fabbro commented: “He was putting himself at risk. We read about how people are lawfully shot in such circumstances.”

He told Willis: “Whatever caused you to act in this terrible, mindless way, you put not only yourself at risk, but other residents in the area in turmoil at seeing such dramatic incidents on their street.

“You made reference to Raoul Moat, you claimed to have access to a firearm and ammunition and said you had been in the services. During those terrible moments, in a number of phone calls to police officers, you threatened to shoot them.

“If it had not been for your plea, you would have been looking at three years at least.”