A TEENAGER who hid an “extremely realistic” imitation handgun and a swastika-covered dagger in a field has been jailed.

Tomas McLaughlin was spotted stashing the weapons in a sports bag under a tree.

At Oxford Crown Court on Friday, Judge Anthony King said the gun was an “extremely realistic replica semi-automatic handgun with a separate magazine”.

Having been arrested and bailed, 18-year-old McLaughlin then teamed up with 19-year-old Sam Jeffs to attack a man in the centre of Banbury in an attack “described by onlookers as the most disgusting and frightening thing they had ever seen”, Judge King said.

Kevin West, prosecuting, said the weapons were hidden off Broughton Road, Banbury, on March 8 and the attack in Parson’s Street, which took place at 11.15am, happened on April 22.

Both men admitted affray at an earlier hearing after the assault victim declined to support proceedings. McLaughlin, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, also admitted carrying a firearm in public and having an article with a blade or point.

Sumita Mahtab-Shaikh, defending Jeffs, said: “This is a young man who has committed this disgusting act of affray but since then has made huge efforts to rehabilitate himself.”

Avirup Chaudhuri, defending McLaughlin, said the weapons “were not proposed to be for his use.

Jeffs, of East Street, Bodicote, was jailed for eight months and McLaughlin was jailed for a total of 22 months.