A FORMER businessman who sparked a terrifying six-hour pub siege has been freed from jail.

The judge's decision to free Timothy Bayliss came after DVD evidence proved he did not point a shotgun at a man's head.

Bayliss went into the King's Head in Upton armed with his father's 12-bore.

He intended to commit suicide after a failed romance and was seen waving the gun about on the CCTV film seized from the pub by police.

Bayliss had severely limited eyesight at the time of the incident and was now virtually blind after serving six months in custody, said crown court Judge John Cavell.

He ruled that Bayliss should be sent to a secure probation hostel in Birmingham for psychological and psychiatric assessments.

The 37-year-old from Stratford Bridge, Ripple, near Tewkesbury, will return to Worcester Crown Court for sentence on March 24.

At a hearing last November, another judge had decided that ten witnesses should give evidence because the prosecution did not accept Bayliss's version of events.

He insisted he never pointed the gun at pub customer Darren Lilley's chest on July 20.

Prosecutor Ian Speed said the DVD - which the judge was shown - proved the defendant's story was true. Mr Lilley now wanted to change his statement, claiming the police took it down wrongly.

Bayliss pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence to Mr Lilley. He also pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to two doors, a disco light bulb, quiz machine, gaming machine, bottles of spirits and optics, all belonging to pub landlord Graham Bunn.

Francis Laird, defending, said: "At the time he could see shapes and blurs and knew people were there, but no more than that."

A doctor's report stated that Bayliss should be on the blind register. He was seen wearing glasses on the DVD but was nearly blind when he entered the pub.