Man jailed for sleepover shooting

Bryan told police he had never seen a gun - but they found this picture

A man who shot a teenage girl in the head at a sleepover party has been jailed for eight years.

Wayne Bryan, 20, shot Sophie Finucane, 16, at close range while showing off with the gun at her house in Gorton, Manchester, in June.

Bryan, of Gorton Villa Walk, Gorton, said it was an accident and admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Sophie survived the shooting, but her injuries were described as horrendous and life-changing.

Police described Bryan as a "dangerous man" who had refused to hand over the weapon, which remains missing.

Bryan also admitted possession of a firearm, possession of an imitation firearm and two counts of possession of ammunition.

He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard that Bryan, said to be fascinated by guns and gangs, had been drinking and smoking cannabis but thought it was "cool" to dance with the weapon, which accidentally went off in his hand.

He is a dangerous man and I am delighted he will be behind bars for a long time Former Det Supt Andy Tattersall

Sophie was blasted in the left side of the head and still has fragments of bullets in her brain which cannot be removed.

She was given a "half a per cent" chance of recovery by doctors and was in a coma for 10 days after the shooting.

But Sophie was discharged from hospital last month and has now moved to the Republic of Ireland to live with her father, John.

She is still unable to walk, has lost use in her right arm, her vision is damaged and she suffers seizures. She will never make a full recovery.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, her father said: "I feel sad my only child will miss out on the three fundamental things in life; work, marriage and children.

"But that said, thank the Lord she is with us today."

Sophie has now moved to Ireland to live with her father

Bryan told the court he was dancing with the gun, which he said he found in a bag at the side of a chair at Sophie's house, when it went off.

But retired Det Supt Andy Tattersall indicated he was not convinced of Bryan's story, and said: "Whether or not this truly was an accident only he will know."

Mr Tattersall said Bryan had "perpetually lied to police" to evade responsibility for the shooting.

"Bryan told us he had never seen a gun before, but we recovered a picture which clearly shows this isn't the case," he said.

"He is a dangerous man and I am delighted he will be behind bars for a long time.

"Because of Bryan's deceitfulness we have not been able to recover the weapon and I would like to take this opportunity to ask anyone who has any information about its whereabouts to come forward."