A 78-year-old man has been jailed for three years after he shot dead his six-year-old great-grandson as he checked his unlicensed air rifle.
Albert Grannon discharged the .22 calibre weapon into football-mad Stanley Metcalf's stomach during a family gathering at his home in Sproatley, East Yorkshire, in July last year.
Sheffield Crown Court heard how the youngster said "you shot me granddad" as shocked relatives responded to the sound of a loud bang in the house. Grannon admitted manslaughter at a previous hearing.
John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, previously told the court how the tragedy happened at a family gathering at the defendant's home which was held every year to mark the death of one of his sons, 16 years ago.
Mr Elvidge said that Stanley asked to see the air rifle and went inside with his great-grandfather.
Family members outside the house then heard a loud bang, the prosecutor said.
Mr Elvidge said that the youngster said "you shot me, granddad" after the gun went off.
The prosecutor said that the defendant had a habit of keeping the adapted air rifle loaded in a cupboard to shoot vermin.
The weapon needed a firearms certificate but he did not apply because he thought he would not get one due to disabilities.
Stanley's mother, Jenny Dees, said of the defendant, who is her grandfather: "Not once did he say sorry.
"Now, if he did, it would be meaningless, too little, too late."
Ms Dees read an emotional statement to court after placing a photo of Stanley in front of her in the witness box.
She said that, immediately after the incident, she felt sorry for her grandfather but she told the judge: "I don't feel sorry for him now."
Paul Genney, defending, told the court that, despite the views of Stanley parents, Grannon "blames himself totally".
The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, asked Mr Genney if he would make one last effort to get Grannon to explain exactly what happened during the fatal incident and adjourned the case for a short time.
Mr Genney returned to court and described how his client accepted that he pointed the gun at Stanley as he squeezed the trigger to check the gun was not loaded "but not, of course, deliberately".
