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A gun collector who shot a man near his Birmingham home following an argument over noise has been cleared of trying to murder him.

A jury at the City’s Crown Court acquitted John Kingscott not guilty of attempting to murder Ben Milligan following a trial.

However Kingscott, 62, of Ambleside, Bartley Green, who had previously admitted causing the victim grievous bodily harm, was told he should still expect a “significant” sentence.

Judge Patrick Thomas QC said: “You know you are facing a significant sentence.

The exact nature of it and the length of it will very much depend on the reports I receive.”

The judge, who remanded Kingscott in custody, adjourned sentence until January 22.

Birmingham Crown Court was told that both men had been drinking and that in the early hours of February 14 this year they ended up on the same footpath between Ambleside and Clover Drive.

Shortly before Mr Milligan had had a row with his girlfriend involving raised voices and he and the defendant had then argued, possibly over the noise.

This lead to the men fighting before Kingscott then went back to his home, where police later found an arsenal of weapons, and then returning armed with a Smith and Wesson revolver.

Kingscott, who was described as having “something of an obsession with firearms” then fired two shots, the first missing and hitting a fence, while the second struck the victim in the shoulder.

The defendant then walked calmly off and took his dog for a walk .

Kingscott had told the court he could not remember firing at Mr Milligan and did not know what was in his mind at the time.