Gunman who pulled trigger three times in failed murder bid jailed for life
Lee Connors tried to shoot his victim in Edinburgh.
A gunman who pulled the trigger three times in a murder bid but failed to fire a bullet was today (2nd August) given a life sentence.
Lee Connors pointed a handgun at his victim's face at Barn Park in Edinburgh in October 2014.
He then tried - but failed - to discharge the weapon before fleeing from the scene.
When police later recovered the revolver they found that there were three bullets in the six chambers of the gun. The weapon was found to be capable of firing but was erratic.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Connors: "You have been found guilty of attempted murder using a firearm. I regard this offence as extremely serious and it appears it was mere luck that resulted in the firearm nor discharging which would have had even more serious consequences."
Lord Ericht pointed that Connors was currently serving a five-year sentence for further firearms crime and had been assessed as posing a high risk to the safety of the public at large.
The judge imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction on the gunman and said: "That order constitutes a sentence of imprisonment for an indefinite period."
He ordered that Connors must serve at least four years and two months in jail before he can apply for parole but told him he would only be released when it was considered no longer necessary for the protection of the public that he remain in prison.