A dad who accused his son of stealing from him pointed a gun in his friend's face to try to find out where it was.
Business owner Keith Noble was desperately trying to retrieve cash which he believed his child had taken and stormed round to his neighbour's home to confront the pal.
A court heard the victim had been asleep when he was woken and confronted by Noble and another son.
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The 54-year-old pointed the weapon at him and demanded to know what had happened to the money - despite the friend saying he knew nothing about it.
Noble's son punched the victim in the head with a knuckle duster before the pair fled, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Noble threw the weapon in a river afterwards so it was never recovered but he pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence on the basis it was a BB gun.
Michael Bunch, prosecuting, told the court: "The background was a dispute between this defendant and one of his sons, Andrew.
"It was suggested Andrew had taken money from the defendant and the defendant was keen to secure the return of that cash.
"As a result of knowing his son was friendly with neighbours Keith Fairbairn and his partner in the same street, the defendant and his son went to that address at 1pm on Sunday October 10 last year."
They walked into the couple's home and went upstairs, where Mr Fairbairn had been asleep.
Mr Bunch said: "This defendant took hold of Mr Fairbairn, holding him down on the bed while pointing what he thought to be a genuine firearm in his face at close range.
"Mr Fairbairn had some knowledge from previous time in the army and he took it to be genuine because of its appearance.
"He tried to move it from being pointed directly at him.
"At that point the defendant's son came over the with a knuckle duster the son started to attack Mr Fairbairn. He sustained a laceration to the back of his head.
"During the attack they were shouting, asking where Andrew was and what he had done with the money, saying they believed Mr Fairbairn was in on that taking of the money."
When the victim later bumped into the pair, the son apologised but Noble said if he went to the police they would shoot him.
The victim and his family had to move house as a result of the offence, meaning their children, one of whom was in the house at the time, had to change school.
Noble, of Pottersway, Gateshead, was sentenced to a 20 month suspended prison sentence with a four month curfew, £1,500 compensation, £250 costs and rehabilitation.
Judge Penny Moreland said the victim "must have been absolutely terrified" as Noble sought to "extract information from him about where your money was".
The court heard Noble's accomplice son admitted actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon and was previously given a community order by magistrates.
Tony Davis, defending, said Noble's son's drug addiction was "at the core of this monumentally bad decision".
He added: "He has led a law-abiding life and is hard-working, running his own business.
"This was a momentary lapse of reason. He is well aware people can't take the law into their own hands, particularly in distressing circumstances of going into his neighbour's property and brandishing this gun. He said it was his son's BB gun.
"He has expressed genuine remorse."
Asked why he had thrown it in a river if it was a BB gun, Mr Davis said: "Sheer panic."
He added that he had previously paid £15,000 to clear his son's drug debts and said they are now estranged.
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