A man has been jailed for three years after he fatally shot his great-grandson.

The six-year-old shouted “you shot me, grandad” after his great-grandfather discharged an air rifle from a few feet away, a court heard.

Albert Grannon, 78, was charged with manslaughter at Sheffield crown court. He initially told police the pellet must have ricocheted as he checked the weapon at his home in Sproatley, east Yorkshire, last year.

But expert analysis showed the shot went directly into the abdomen of Stanley Metcalf on 26 July 2018. At an earlier hearing, Grannon admitted to manslaughter and possessing an adapted air rifle without a firearms certificate.

John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, told the court the incident occurred at a family gathering at the defendant’s home, which was held annually to mark the death of one of his sons 16 years ago.

Elvidge said Stanley asked to see the air rifle and went inside with his great-grandfather. Family members then heard a loud bang and the youngster reportedly said “you shot me, grandad”.

The prosecutor said the defendant had a habit of keeping the 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.”

Dees read an emotional statement to the court after placing a photograph of Stanley in front of her in the witness box. She said that immediately after the incident, she felt sorry for her grandfather, but told the judge: “I don’t feel sorry for him now.”

Paul Genney, defending, told the court that despite the views of Stanley’s parents, Grannon “blames himself totally”.

The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, asked Genney if he would make one final effort to get Grannon to explain exactly what happened during the fatal incident, and adjourned the case for a short time.

Genney returned to court and described how his client accepted he had pointed the gun at Stanley as he squeezed the trigger to check it was not loaded, “but not, of course, deliberately”.