A WINCHESTER man has been jailed for three years after robbing a mother with a fake gun in a supermarket car park.

Daniel McAuley, 25, of Trussell Crescent, Weeke, approached the woman outside Aldi in Winchester and stole her purse using a 'pistol' wrapped in clingfilm.

The father-of-one held the weapon at his waist as she tried to exit her car, Winchester Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor James Kellam read from the woman's witness statement at the sentencing on Friday.

"At this time I was thinking to myself 'this is some sad person with a toy gun'," she said, describing the incident on July 26. "My initial reaction was just to laugh and diffuse the situation by saying 'you must be joking', but common sense prevailed."

McAuley insisted the gun was real, pointed it at her and stole the purse, the court heard, running away from the supermarket in Stockbridge Road before being stopped by the woman's son, who had gone shopping with her.

He and four members of the public restrained McAuley until police arrived.

Mr Kellam said it was unclear whether the gun was deactivated or a replica.

Robert Grey, mitigating, said McAuley had relapsed into using class A drugs and offending after relationship troubles. He had a history of using heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.

"There was a time when he wasn't living with his partner and their child, he was effectively homeless or sofa surfing and then he started taking class A drugs and that's when he started to descend into a life of drug taking," Mr Grey said. "In the last year he's used and these offences have been committed."

It was McAuley's 26th court appearance after a total of 47 previous offences, mostly for shoplifting.

Deputy circuit judge Douglas Field activated two suspended sentences issued in May and July, handing down three years in prison.