A SOMERSET man shot a four-year-old boy in the throat after aiming an air gun at him to ''cheer him up'', a court heard.

Bus driver Chris Carter, 30, from Shepton Mallet, was celebrating his birthday when the child’s mother voiced concerns over the weapon which was leaning against a window.

Carter took a shot out of the window and then turned round and pulled the trigger in the child’s direction and the youngster immediately cried out.

The boy began to retch and vomit and his mother noticed blood on his throat and a wound the size of a five pence piece.

Carter said he could not believe how it had happened as he thought there were no pellets in the gun.

The boy was taken to hospital and monitored but there were no complications and he was released soon after.

Carter pleaded guilty to assault and told Somerset Magistrates he was 'absolutely horrified' at what he had done.

He said it was a completely reckless act that he had never intended or expected to happen.

The court heard how the child was taken by his mother to Carter’s address to celebrate the defendant’s birthday where everyone was eating cake and drinking soft drinks.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said: “The boy was watching TV when his mother noticed there was an air rifle leaning against the wall near the window.

"She said she didn’t know he owned a gun and he said it was not loaded and was using it to scare a pigeon.

"Shortly afterwards he picked it up and fired it out of the window to demonstrate the noise it made.

“This did not phase the boy but Carter then turned, facing into his room with the gun in his hand, and fired it in their direction and her son immediately started to cry.

“His mother thought he was just scared and in shock, but he then began to retch and be sick, and when he turned towards her she could see blood on his throat and T-shirt and a wound the size of a 5p piece on his throat.”

Defending, Nicola Smailes said that Carter, who was a father himself, was absolutely horrified at what he had done and was deeply apologetic.

“He feels absolutely awful and the guilt of what he did will remain with him forever but it was entirely an accident,” she said.

“The child and his mother had gone round for Carter’s birthday celebrations but the boy was miserable and my client was trying to cheer him up."

Carter was sentenced to a 12 month community order with a requirement to carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

No request was made for compensation but an order was made for the gun to be destroyed.