Mum begs judge to send her granddad to jail for killing her ‘beautiful, football-mad’ son, 6, with air rifle

A MUM today pleaded with a judge to jail her own grandfather after he killed her six-year-old son with an air rifle.

His mum Jenny Dees said the family is “broken beyond repair” and that she still hasn’t received an apology from her grandfather after her football-loving son was “accidentally” shot.

Miss Dees initially thought her son was play acting when he shouted “you shot me grandad” and hunched over clutching his stomach.

She said life has been “unbearable” since her son’s death and that she struggles “to live, to eat and breathe.”

She begged a judge to jail Grannon and he was today locked up for three years at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting manslaughter and the possession of a firearm without a certificate.

Mr Justice Lavender said: “No sentence I impose can undo what you’ve done.”

‘JAIL HIM’

Stanley’s father Andy Metcalf said he has “lost his best friend” and asked Grannon: “Why did you take our little boy away?”

Miss Dees rounded on her grandfather in court as she read out an emotional victim impact statement with a picture of Stanley that she had brought with her placed in front of her.

“Not once did he say sorry,” she said. “Now if he did, it would be too little too late. I hope you can live with yourself.”

She said: “Our whole world has changed forever. It is unbearable, we struggle to live, to eat and breathe. Nothing will make this better, our hearts are totally broken.

“The pain in my heart is unbearable, I cry and cry and sometimes I think I am not going to stop.”

Speaking outside court after the sentencing, she said: “This will never heal the pain of losing Stanley.”

The court heard how Stanley shouted “you shot me grandad” as he was crouched over clutching his stomach after being shot while standing in the kitchen of Grannon’s house during a family gathering.

He had followed his great-grandad inside the house to look at the air rifle and when his mum first saw him hunched over, she thought he was play acting.

Humberside Police previously said Grannon had shown no remorse until he pleaded guilty last month.

Speaking before the sentencing, Miss Dees 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.”

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.

Jenny Dees

She added: “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 grandad 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.

‘ADORED FOOTBALL’

“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.”

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

Stanley was being looked after by Grannon and his wife Jennifer during a family gathering at their home when the incident happened at around 4pm.

He was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary with serious injuries after the pellet made a hole in his abdomen, but tragically died.

An inquest opening heard Stanley’s cause of death was an “air gun projectile wound to the abdomen”.

His great-grandmother, Jennifer Grannon, described the youngster as a “brainy, kind little boy”.

No sentence I impose can undo what you’ve done

Mr Justice Lavender

At his funeral last year, family members described Stanley, who had a twin sister, Elsie May, as a “loving, caring and beautiful boy” who “adored” playing football.

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.

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.

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.

“I can’t bring Stanley back, but if this campaign and petition stops just one person losing their life it will be worth it.”