A woman feared for her life when a gunman fired shots at her and four children in a Lanarkshire village.
Emma Davis was walking her dog when Paul Ritchie made threats from his garden and attacked her pet.
The drama unfolded as Emma took the Maya for a walk with the youngsters, the Sunday Mail reports.
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Ritchie, who was previously jailed for sending threatening emails to politicians, bawled and swore at the group and kicked the dog.
Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the incident sparked a major police armed response.
The 35-year-old pled guilty to firing, what later emerged was a paintball gun, at Emma and the children she was with.
However, Emma says she was convinced Ritchie - a complete stranger - was firing a real gun at the time.
She said her Staffordshire bull terrier had to be put down after the incident.
Emma, 40, moved from the rural village of Dolphinton, after the incident out side Ritchie's Grange Cottage home in October 2020.
Emma said: "What happened that morning you might see in a city street, but you wouldn't expect it in a lovely, quiet village like Dolphinton.
"This stranger came out of his house, shouting and swearing. He was making threats and his language was vile. He kicked Maya, who flew across the -pavement.
"He came back out and I heard popping noises - he had armed himself with a gun and was standing on the bird bath in his back garden.
"We were absolutely no threat to him I'm only 5ft 5in and a size 8 and yet he was firing in our direction as we backed away.
"It was horrific. I genuinely thought the children were going to die. It didn't make any sense - it was crazy behaviour."
Police later discovered the paintball gun in Ritchie's house.
Emma added: "I had sleepless nights after this. We had to move away from the area."
Businessman Ritchie admitted admitted firing the paintball gun in the direction of the group and to causing the dog unnecessary suffering. He also pled guilty to assaulting two police officers.
Sentence was deferred until next month for background reports.
