Jailed Tup Tup Palace gunman Michael Dixon has seen his bid for freedom fail at the first hurdle.
But the career criminal is continuing his fight to overturn his conviction and life sentence.
Dixon was jailed after being convicted of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life over the drive-by shooting outside the popular Newcastle nightclub, which left a doorman seriously injured.
Notorious Tyneside criminal John Henry Sayers was cleared of masterminding the attack, following a dramatic trial at London's Old Bailey court.
ChronicleLive revealed in September how Dixon had applied to appeal both his conviction and sentence.
Now it has been confirmed that his appeal was refused at the first stage, which involves a single judge examining the case.
But Dixon, 50, has decided to fight on, and his appeal request will now be heard by three Court of Appeal judges who will decide whether the case can go on to a full appeal hearing.
John Henry Sayers freed from prison and on his way home after Tup Tup shooting conviction
A spokesman for the Court of Appeal in London explained: "His application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence were both prepared for consideration by the single judge, which is the first stage of the appeal process. A high court judge looks at the case by the paper application.
"The single judge considered the application and refused leave to appeal in respect of the conviction and the sentence.
"He has renewed both his conviction application and his sentence application and he's asked the full court to look at the case. It will now be prepared for hearing by the full court and in due course there will be a hearing."
The next stage of the process will see Dixon's case come before three top judges, who will decide whether it can go forward to a full appeal hearing.
Doorman Matthew McCauley suffered multiple injuries when he was gunned down while working at Tup Tup Palace, on St Nicholas Street, in June 2015.
Dixon and John Henry Sayers freed from prison and on his way home after Tup Tup shooting conviction were both charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the attack.
During the Old Bailey trial, prosecutors claimed Sayers had sent Dixon to shoot at the club as an act of revenge after his son, John Jnr, was thrown out and punched by door staff two weeks earlier.
But the jury found him not guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Dixon was, however, convicted of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life.
And Sayers was found guilty of perverting the course of justice, along with convicted murderer Michael McDougall, in relation to a false confession McDougall made to the shooting.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC jailed Dixon for life, ordering that he must spend a minimum of eight years behind bars.
Sayers, 55, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for the perverting the course of justice offence.
Two weeks ago he was freed from prison, and is now back in Newcastle with his family.
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