A man has been jailed after he took a shotgun to a neighbour’s house to seek retribution.

The gun went off while Terence Hunter was banging on the door with it, injuring a party-goer inside.

Hunter had been at the house in Glenfield Avenue, Deighton, earlier that evening in November where the party had been held but was very drunk and had got into an argument.

There was then an altercation outside about whether he had caused damage to a van, Gerald Hendron, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

About five minutes later, Hunter was seen walking up the path of the house with what people at first thought was a hammer but turned out to be a shotgun.

He was heard banging on the door with it and then there was a “huge bang” and the shotgun went off, smashing glass in the front door.

Some of the cartridge debris struck Graham Fryer, one of the people inside.

Mr Hendron said Mr Fryer described being hit on the arm, chest, and scalp by pellets but was also struck in his left eye.

He spent three days in hospital and has twice had to have eye surgery since and faces further treatment and does not know if he will lose complete sight in that eye.

When Hunter was arrested he claimed he had been beaten up outside the party and denied he had gone back with a gun.

Officers searching his home discovered four cannabis plants growing and some harvested cannabis but did not find the gun.

Christopher Tehrani, for Hunter, said he was heavily intoxicated and acted out of character. He had not realised the gun was loaded, had only intended to frighten with it and was shocked when it went off accidentally.

Hunter, 28, of Glenfield Avenue, admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing cannabis with intent to supply. He was cleared on an earlier occasion by a jury of more serious firearm offences.

Jailing him for a total of four years and four months Judge Neil Clark said: “The fact you were drunk is an explanation why you acted in such a way out of character but an aggravating feature when you are in possession of a shotgun.”

Det Chief Insp Jon Morgan said: “In what appeared to be an act of retribution, Hunter went back to the party with the sole intention of generating fear, culminating in a weapon being discharged.

“His decision to use a firearm has resulted in this significant sentence and indicates the outcome which people can expect.

“We will not tolerate or accept this behaviour within our communities and we will continue to take proactive action to remove weapons from our streets.”