Ryan Harris Kavanagh was said to have been doing target practice from his home on Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick when he hit the teenager in the buttock and the cycle being ridden by Andrew Driver with pellets, Pennine magistrates heard.

Kavanagh (22), subject to a Crown Court suspended jail sentence for assault and possessing a weapon at the time, fired several shots. When police arrived at his house, he denied having a gun but police found the rifle and pellets after searching the premises.

The defendant admitted two counts of assault by beating and one charge of discharging a firearm within 50 feet of a highway on June 9th. He will be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on August 1st and was bailed on condition he does not possess an air weapon in the meantime. The Bench told him the incident was sustained and there had been a real risk of serious injury.

Mr Andrew Robinson (prosecuting) said the 17-year-old victim contacted her father after being hit and he came out and tried to find out where the shot might have come from. He was making inquiries on Gisburn Road and went to various properties and spoke to people. He heard three shots being fired from a long-barreled weapon out of a skylight and warned passers-by to be careful and to move out of the way.

Mr Driver was riding past, heard a loud crack and a pellet appeared to hit his bike. He later told police he heard a pop, felt something brush his tracksuit bottoms and thought a tyre had popped. He told officers he did not take kindly to being shot at. Mr Driver was not injured.

After police were called, they went to Kavanagh's house. He denied he had a gun but officers found a tin containing lead pellets. A further search revealed the air rifle, which had telescopic sights, hidden in some clothing.

He was questioned and said he had decided to do some target practice. The defendant claimed he wasn't particularly firing at anybody and thought the pellets might have bounced off walls. The court was told last August, he was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Bradford Crown Court.

Mr Glen Smith (defending) said the air rifle was at the lower end of that type of weapon.

Kavanagh had started target practice from his bedroom window at a building site opposite. A short while later, he had been firing out of his attic window at a skip on the opposite side of the road. The pellets rebounded. The solicitor added the defendant certainly did not aim the air weapon at anybody.