A man left to die in agony on the street after being shot with a crossbow cared for his elderly nan who has since had to leave her home, a court heard.
Lee Atkins, 38, had battled heroin addiction since a young age but still provided care for his grandmother, who is in her 80s, a court heard.
Today at Liverpool Crown Court David Ball, 50, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 27 years, after being convicted of murder by a jury last week.
Ball claimed the crossbow had gone off "by accident" after a fight involving Mr Atkins and their mutual friend Kevin Riley on Monfa Road, Bootle, in the early hours of Monday May 6 this year.
But Richard Pratt, QC, prosecuting, had told the jury that Ball, of Brookhill Close, Bootle , who had been storing the weapon in Mr Riley's home, went and retrieved it with the intention of firing it at Mr Atkins.
The three men had been drinking and taking heroin and painkillers together during the day, but Ball and Mr Atkins fell out after the killer stole a van and began driving it erratically.
They returned to Mr Riley's home where a fight broke out.
Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, sentencing, told Ball: "I am sure that you cocked and loaded that crossbow before you took it out to Monfa Road where you fired it at Lee Atkins, who was at that time completely defenceless and posing no threat to you…
“In a rare moment of honesty, you told (a witness) ‘I lost my temper and snapped, when I snap I get this strength and I don’t know where it comes from."
During the trial, a 999 call played to the court captured the pain and trauma of Mr Atkins' final moments.
Judge Flewitt said: "It is clear from the 999 call played to the jury, Lee Atkins was not killed instantly.
"There was a period of time when he was struggling to breathe and in considerable pain from his internal injuries."
Judge Flewitt said he had read a victim personal statement from Mr Atkins' mum Deborah, who did not want it read out loud to the courtroom.
However, he described how despite his life being "blighted with heroin addiction" from a young age Mr Atkins had been a carer for his nan, a woman in her 80s.
The pensioner can no longer live in her own home and has since been forced to move in with family members, said Judge Flewitt.
Judge Flewitt also paid tribute to the courage of witness Angela Turner, who rushed out into Monfa Road to help Mr Atkins despite knowing the crossbow wielding killer was still nearby.
During the trial, Ball frequently lost his cool telling Mr Pratt to "shut up" and calling him a "f****** weapon."
When asked how he had shown Mr Atkins he was sorry for firing the crossbow, he replied: "What do you want me to do? Buy him a box of Milk Tray to say I'm sorry?"
Nick Johnson, QC, defending Ball, told the court there is no evidence his client had intended to kill Mr Atkins rather than seriously injure him.
Although Judge Flewitt agreed, he suggested the risks of firing such a deadly weapon meant that mitigation was of limited value.
He told Ball: "You have not shown the slightest remorse for your actions.. Your contempt for this court and you disrespect for Lee Atlkins was in stark contrast to the dignity shown by the family of Lee Atkins."
Speaking after the case, detective chief inspector Gayle Rooney, of Merseyside Police, said: "This has been a very difficult time for the family of Lee Atkins but our main aim has been to support them through this process.
"Ball chose to escalate a disagreement between two people who knew each other to a sickening level of violence, with tragic consequences.
"His decision has not only cost a man his life, and caused unspeakable suffering to all who knew Lee – it has now cost Ball his liberty for a long time...
"During the course of this investigation, as with others, we encountered an unwillingness by some members of the community to come forward with information.
"So I would like to extend my thanks to the brave people who have stepped forward and given evidence.
"They have not only played a crucial role in bringing justice for Lee's family, they have also helped remove an extremely dangerous individual from a community the court heard he had terrorised for many years. "
