A Tycroes man with "a deep-seated animosity" towards the police made three telephone calls to Dyfed-Powys police threatening to shoot their officers dead.

During one call Paul Anthony Evans, 32, named the officer he would kill.

In the following two calls he taunted the officers he was talking to by telling them that he was already looking at a policeman and if she spoke a "secret" word he would pull the trigger.

Evans claimed to be holding a shotgun at the time.

Evans, then of Parc Gwernen, admitted making three threats to kill and was jailed for 18 months.

Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how Evans telephoned Dyfed-Powys Police HQ in Carmarthen on February 20 and asked to be put through to Aberystwyth police station.

The call was taken by PC Sian Davies. Evans, who had programmed his 'phone not to display caller number, told her he was going to kill "PC Ayres from Newcastle Emlyn."

Evans made two further calls to police HQ. During both he claimed to be holding a shotgun and looking at a police officer sitting in a car. If the officer he was talking to spoke a certain word then he would pull the trigger.

Evans used the words, "Pick your words carefully or someone will die. I'm serious.

Mr Ibrahim said that despite Evans withholding his number police were able to trace it to his home.

And PC Ayres, who had been told immediately about the threat to his life, had already told fellow officers, "It's probably Paul Evans."

Evans was arrested one hour and three minutes after making his final call.

He claimed during police interviews that his telephone had been stolen and someone else must have made the calls.

But when they were played back to him he admitted "it sounds a bit like me."

Tom Scapens, the barrister representing Evans, said he had made all three calls from the lounge of his home and had never been looking at police officers or holding a shotgun.

Judge Paul Thomas said he noted that Evans had two convictions for assaulting police officers, and at least one for resisting an officer.

"You have a deep-seated animosity towards the police."

Judge Thomas said Evans had caused "the maximum apprehension" not only to PC Ayres but to others at Dyfed-Powys police who were made to believe that if they spoke a certain word, which Evans never revealed or had never existed, then they would be responsible, indirectly, for the death of a colleague.

"You were taunting them. You are a disturbed individual and a dangerous one," added Judge Thomas.