ARMED police launched a four hour siege of a Hampshire home after a man with access to guns threatened to burn his mother's house down.

The armed officers rushed to the home in New Milton after the man made threatening phone calls to his mother while in a drink-fuelled rage.

Police carrying guns, shields and wearing bullet-proof jackets and helmets, laid siege to the home while the man was barricaded inside.

Now the man who sparked the siege, Alexander Psaila, 33, has been jailed for the incident.

During his sentencing, at Southampton Crown Court, prosecutor Alec Williams said how the incident took place on July 3 at Psaila's mother's home in Brecon Close, New Milton.

He told the court how prior to the incident Psaila, of Whitefield Road, New Milton, had descended into alcoholism, which had impacted his mental health conditions.

These include depression, emotionally unstable personality disorder and agoraphobia - a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic.

Mr Williams said on the day prior to the incident, July 2, Psaila became intoxicated and demanded his mother, Susan Psaila, get him more alcohol.

The court Mrs Psaila, 64, who had made attempts to help her son's drink problem, used the demands as an excuse to leave the home.

She instead went to seek shelter in the local Conservative Club.

Mr Williams said that while at the club, Psaila made phone calls to his mother, including one in which he threatened to burn down her home.

Frightened by the calls and the sound of smashing in the background, Mrs Psaila called the police who went to the property but later left.

Scared to return home, Mrs Psaila stayed with a friend before returning to the property the next day, accompanied by the same friend, to find her son had barricaded the front door.

The pair entered through the back of the property, to find damage to the kitchen sides, believed to have been caused with a knuckleduster.

Mrs Psaila called the police again after her son, who was still intoxicated, became abusive.

Armed police were dispatched to the scene because Psaila had access to guns – though it was not said in court how or why.

Psaila pleaded guilty to causing damage to property and making threats to cause damage.

He pleaded not guilty to two charges of making threats to kill, a plea which was accepted by the prosecution, though the court order these to lie on his file.

In sentencing, Judge Gary Burrell QC said Psaila caused "significant alarm" to his mother and jailed him for 15 months.

He also imposed a restraining order for a year, banning Psaila from accessing Brecon Close and ordered the confiscation of firearms to become the property of Psaila's mother.