A six-year-old boy shouted ‘you shot me, grandad’ after his great-grandfather fired an air rifle at him – but his mother thought he was play-acting, a court heard today.
Stanley Metcalf was accidentally shot dead in the abdomen by Albert Grannon, 78, at the pensioner’s home in the East Yorkshire village of Sproatley on July 26 last year.
The boy’s devastated mother Jenny Dees said she has not received an apology from Grannon nearly one year on, as he is sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today.
Jenny Dees’s football-loving son Stanley Metcalf suffered a hole in the side of his abdomen when he was shot with an air rifle in the East Yorkshire village of Sproatley on July 26, 2018
Stanley’s parents Jenny and Andy at Sheffield Crown Court today (left). They say the boy’s great-grandfather Albert Grannon (right, at Hull Crown Court on June 10) has not apologised
Grannon, who bought the air rifle for £90, will be sentenced after admitting the manslaughter of Stanley and the possession of a firearm without a certificate.
John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, told the court that Stanley was shot by Grannon from a few feet away at a family gathering at the pensioner’s house.
Ms Dees said Stanley’s twin sister Elsie, now seven, pictured with her brother, has become ‘withdrawn’ after the tragic incident
Mr Elvidge said Stanley 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. Stanley had asked to see it and the pair went inside.
He said that Grannon originally told police he was checking the gun was empty by pulling the trigger while pointing it downwards and Stanley was hit by a ricochet.
But Mr Elvidge said that experts had shown the rifle was discharged directly in the boy’s abdomen.
Humberside Police previously said Grannon, who is on bail, had shown no remorse until he pleaded guilty at a court hearing last month.
Grannon will be sentenced by High Court judge Mr Justice Lavender today – and Miss Dees has called for him to send her grandfather to prison.
She said: ‘For me, I don’t believe he should be coming home. I do believe he does need to go to prison and take responsibility for the death of my son. He caused the death of my son.’
Stanley’s mother Jenny and father Andy arrive at Sheffield Crown Court this morning
Miss Dees has told how her husband Andy (pictured with Stanley and Elsie) is also struggling
Miss Dees said that in the 11 months since Stanley’s death, Grannon has not shown any remorse or apologised.
She said: ‘I have had no remorse shown to me. I have had no apology and that is unbearable and unbelievable to see.
‘I loved and respected my granddad so much and the day Stanley died I thought he would come to me and say he was sorry, why wouldn’t he? But he didn’t.
‘People say he is in shock and that he will say sorry afterwards. We are nearly up to a year now and he hasn’t.
‘I do believe that if you cause the death of somebody, regardless of whether you meant to or not, there should be a punishment in place and that is going to prison.’
Miss Dees said Stanley, pictured with her (left) and father Andy (right), was ‘always smiling’
Stanley was being looked after by Grannon and his wife Jennifer at their home in the village of Sproatley when the incident happened at around 4pm.
Stanley was described as a ‘loving, caring and beautiful boy’ who ‘adored’ playing football.
The boy was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary with serious injuries after the pellet made a hole in his abdomen, but died.
An inquest opening at Hull Coroner’s Court last year heard that the youngster died after suffering a pellet gun injury to the side of his abdomen.
Stanley’s great-grandmother, Jennifer Grannon described the youngster as a ‘brainy, kind little boy’.
At his funeral last year, relatives sad Stanley, who had a twin sister, Elsie May, was a ‘loving, caring and beautiful boy’ who ‘adored’ playing football.
His sister at on top of the horse-drawn hearse carrying his coffin as it arrived at the service. The cortege received a guard of honour from mourners dressed in superhero costumes.
Stanley’s family have since set up Stanley’s Law in his memory as they call for more regulation over the sale and use of air powered weapons.
The law in Scotland states it is an offence to use, possess, purchase or acquire an air weapon without holding an air weapon certificate.
Stanley’s twin sister Elsie May sat on top of the horse-drawn hearse carrying his coffin as it arrived at his funeral at Chanterlands Crematorium in Hull last year
Miss Dees is campaigning for the same law to apply in England and for people to be more educated when it comes to using and owning air weapons.
She also said the youngster, pictured, was football mad and wanted to play for Hull City
She said: ‘I want more awareness and education around air rifles and more training around them.
‘My personal opinion is that it is too easy to go into a shop and buy an air rifle with a few little bits of ID and be able to walk out it.
‘I am trying to change the law around that and get the right education in place.’
The petition has since gathered more than 5,700 signatures since it was launched late last year.
Miss Dees said: ‘It shouldn’t have taken the death of my son for laws to change. He was such a beautiful little boy and so loving.
‘His life was taken away and that is due to the fact that people are handling air rifles that are -12ft/lb and under without any training.
‘I do believe there needs to be a law in place for training and education. People say there is no danger in a rifle like that, but I have the evidence to proof there is – my little boy is dead.
Mourners dressed as Stormtroopers from Star Wars arrive at the crematorium in Hull last year
Mourners wearing Hull City shirts watch as the boy’s coffin arrives for his funeral last August
‘I can’t bring Stanley back, but if this campaign and petition stops just one person losing their life it will be worth it.
Stanley died after being shot in the abdomen
‘I promised Stanley I would do this and get this out there so nothing like this would ever happen again.
In a statement issued following Stanley’s death, his family described him as being ‘vibrant and full of energy’.
They said: ‘We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken without Stanley and it still doesn’t feel real we won’t see his happy, smiling face again.
‘There are no real words to express how the loss of Stanley has affected us and we all miss him so much. Stanley was a loving, caring and beautiful boy.’
At the last hearing, Judge Peter Kelson QC told the defendant: ‘It is important I make clear to you the mere fact I am ordering a pre-sentence report and renewing your bail should not be taken by you as any indication as to the likely sentence.
Police initially described the incident last year as a ‘tragic accident involving a pellet airgun’
The shooting happened at his great-grandparents’ home in Sproatley, East Yorkshire, pictured
‘This case, while tragic, is very serious and it’s entirely possible that a prison sentence will follow and you must prepare for that.’
Detective Inspector Rebecca Dickinson, who led the investigation with Humberside Police, said last month that she was pleased that Grannon – who she said had shown no remorse until this point – had ‘faced up to the enormity of his actions’.
She said: ‘It is a nightmare that Stanley’s family have had to live through every day since last July, and will have to live through from now on.’
Describing the effect of Stanley’s death on his ‘inseparable’ twin Elsie, she added: ‘I can only imagine what she will feel like now and when she reaches any milestones in her life, knowing that she should be sharing them with Stanley. There are no winners in this at all.’