A GRIEVING man aimed a replica gun at police so they would shoot him and he could “go up to meet” his dead partner.

Glen Walton wept in court as he was locked up for drunkenly aiming the ball bearing gun at an officer just weeks after his partner, Linda Bailey, had died unexpectedly.

Jailing him for 20 months, Judge John Phipps said he had “every sympathy” with Walton, but he added: “Considerable police resources were expended and armed response officers bear a heavy responsibility.

“Indeed, when you were interviewed by police, what you said to them was that you wanted the armed response police to shoot – how much greater burden of responsibility must that be.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard Walton had been an alcoholic, but was “cured” by Mrs Bailey, whom he had met five years earlier.

Following her death, he had begun to drink excessively again.

Prosecutor Geoffrey Greenwood said police were called on November 30, last year, by Mrs Bailey’s daughter, Kelly, who was concerned after Walton had mumbled about “going up to meet Linda” during a phonecall.