A mother was told the reason her sons were sitting in prison was because she got them involved in a dispute with another family.

Matthew Cook, 24, and Shane Cook, 19, both of Beverley Way, Clenchwarton, were handed jail terms on Friday following an incident in April where they armed themselves with baseball bats and damaged a car, while Matthew Cook pointed an imitation black handgun at a man.

Both pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm at an earlier hearing, as well as possession of an offensive weapon, namely baseball bats.

The altercation on April 26 in Riversway, King's Lynn, had taken place after the men's parents, Kelly Winter, and Steve Cook, had seen Jason Cruickshank and his partner Hazel Dyer in a Costcutter shop in King's Lynn earlier on in the day.

Andrew Oliver, prosecuting, said: 'While they are in the shop there is a scuffle that takes place between Mr Cruickshank and Steve Cook. Kelly Winter is heard to say 'I'm going home and I'm going to sort this'. It was sorted very shortly after that.'

Around 10 minutes after Mr Cruickshank got home he was told by his son a group was damaging his car with baseball bats.

'He sees it's both the Cooks and Kelly Winter and they are armed with baseball bats,' Mr Oliver said.

As Mr Cruickshank went to confront the group, the court was told Matthew Cook produced an imitation black handgun and pointed it two to three inches from Mr Cruickshank's head.

Mr Oliver said: 'There are threats made at Jason - 'I'm going to shoot you in the face, you're dead, you're getting it'.'

Matthew Cook pulled the trigger three times, which was heard to click, before Mr Cruickshank returned home.

During the incident the gun was also passed to the younger brother Shane Cook and Winter made racist insults to Miss Dyer.

Winter, of Coulton Close, King's Lynn, previously plead guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

Hugh Vass, for Winter, said: 'She not only feels remorse for herself but also feels she must bear some responsibilty for her sons getting involved in this incident.'

Ian James, mitigating for Shane Cook, said he was still young and was remorseful.

While David Stewart, for Matthew Cook, said he acted in the 'heat of the moment'.

Sentencing the family Judge Stephen Holt handed Winter a four month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. He said: 'The reason your sons are sitting [in prison] is because you got them involved. That is, in my view, entirely down to you.'

Matthew Cook was sentenced to 14 months in prison for possession of the imitation firearm and three months in prison for possession of a baseball bat, to run concurrently.

Shane Cook was sentenced to 10 months for possession of the imitation firearm and three months in prison for possession of a baseball bat, to run concurrently.

Aaron Hardy, 22, and of Jarvis Road, King's Lynn also pleaded guilty to a public order offence but was given a conditional discharge as Judge Holt accepted he was 'unlucky to be involved' after seeing the group on the way to the shop and going with them to see what was going on.