Terence McGeown, 36, placed a milk carton and a fizzy drink bottle in a tree beyond his Robert Street home for air rifle target practice.

But the dad-of-two’s gun fun came to an abrubt halt after a concerned resident spotted what he was up to and alerted the police.

Prosecutor David Simpson told Greenock Sheriff Court: “The accused was observed firing an air rifle from an address in Robert Street which was shown to be his own home.

“The police were called and he was spoken to. He said he had the air rifle and was using it for ‘target practice’.

“The accused was shooting at a bottle he had placed in a tree.” McGeown had been officially accused of using the gun ‘for firing a missile’.

The wording of the charge became the butt of a volley of court jokes because prosecutors didn’t use the word ‘pellet’ instead.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton, inset, sparked laughter at an earlier calling of the case last November when he remarked: “This must be some weapon, firing missiles beyond a premises.

“Even by Greenock standards, that’s impressive.” As laughter rippled along the public benches, the sheriff shot off another one-liner, quipping: “I take it that it was a pellet that was allegedly fired and that the gun isn’t some sort of rocket launcher?” Fiscal Kevin Doherty replied that he was ‘surprised’ that the matter had called at sheriff court level.

Sheriff Hamilton immediately fired back: “So am I, if it’s a missile that’s involved.” At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher said: “Mr McGeown had put a milk carton and a fizzy drinks bottle in a tree across from his house and he was taking potshots at them.

“His guilty plea was tendered at the first opportunity.” Sheriff Ian Fleming told McGeown: “This was an excercise in crass stupidity, and someone of your age should know better.

“It’s not a good example to your children, is it?” McGeown, of Robert Street, was placed under supervision within the community for 12 months.