A South Hams kickboxing teacher who peppered a class of 10-year-olds with BB pellets from an imitation assault rifle has escaped punishment thanks to a personal reference from Darth Vader.

Peter Sheridan sprayed the six children with dozens of 6mm pellets from the battery-powered weapon, which looked just like a M40 Carbine in an attempt to make them run around the hall faster.

The 46-year-old claimed he opened fire at Kingsbridge Leisure Centre in December 2016 as a joke but a judge told him he had acted like an over-excited child showing off a new toy.

Sheridan is a former European kickboxing champion who used to train with tough-guy actor Spencer Wilding, who played Darth Vader in the latest Star Wars film Rogue One.

Mr Wilding wrote a personal reference for Sheridan, which described him as being devoted to helping others and supporting the community.

Sheridan was freed on a conditional discharge by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court after being found guilty last week of possessing an imitation firearm.

Sheridan, 46, of Kingsway Park, Kingsbridge, was cleared of three counts of assault by battery on three children aged 10 or 11.

The judge ordered him to pay £500 costs but suggested that a ban on him having any contact with children, which has prevented him seeing his 15-year-old son playing rugby, should be lifted.

He told him:"You were an instructor who children looked up to and took orders from. You took the decision to take out the gun, no one else.

"You acted immaturely. You were like an over-excited child and fired it in the general direction of the children and a misjudged attempt to make them run around faster.

"I suppose you thought they might be as impressed as you were by this imitation weapon and you did not appreciate the risk of discharging dozens and dozens of pellets near the children.

"The footage of the test firing by the police armourer showed how alarming for children of 10 or so. Clearly, some of the pellets hit some of the children but you were oblivious of the upset at the time.

"You were too proud and obstinate to admit the patent foolishness of your actions."

Sean Brunton, defending, said Sheridan’s references, including that from Mr Wilding, showed his behaviour at the lesson was completely out of character.

He said:"He is a community man, a decent man, an enthusiastic and hard working man. He has been a volunteer at his local rugby club for ten years.

"This was an act of gross foolishness. He is not a wicked or evil man or a criminal. He just made a terrible mistake. He was showing off and his enthusiasm got the better of him."

In the five-day case, the jury was told how three children aged 10 or 11 complained they had small marks where they had been hit by pellets.

Officers seized the battery-powered BB gun, which is a realistic imitation of a M40 carbine and fires 6mm pellets. Staff at the centre found 70 on the floor of the hall after the lesson ended.

Sheridan said the gun was a toy, he fired at the ceiling rather than at the children, and that they laughing as they ran around the hall.

He said:"I just did it for a laugh. It was just a game. It was a toy gun. One of the children was saying ’shoot me, shoot me’. Of course I did not intend to shoot the children."