Family livid as man who shot dead great-grandson, 6, to be released in days

The family of a six-year-old shot dead by his great-grandfather has revealed the killer will soon be released after just 18 months in prison.

Little Stanley Metcalf was fatally wounded by an air rifle fired by Albert Grannon, 79.

The tragedy happened at a family gathering in July 2018 to commemorate the loss of Grannon's fireman son Andrew, HullLive reports.

Grannon initially refused to accept responsibility, insisting the boy died in Sproatley, East Yorkshire, after being hit by a ricochet from the air rifle he fired.

But he finally acknowledged his role when he pleaded guilty at Sheffield Crown Court in 2019 and was jailed for three years for manslaughter in July that year.

The family has now been informed he is due to be released on licence this week.

A family member said they would be told which day it was on the day he is let out.

The relative said: “It was something that should never have happened.

"There were multiple actions on that day, from him loading that gun to squeezing the trigger, where if they hadn't happened the chances are Stanley would still be here."

On the day it happened, Grannon was seen taking Stanley inside to show him his illegal air rifle which he had bought to shoot rats, rabbits and squirrels.

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The air rifle had been modified with a more powerful spring, was loaded and had the safety catch off.

When those outside heard a loud bang, Stanley's mum Jenny Dees had thought her son was play acting as he lay mortally wounded from the shot.

It was only when her mum, Grannon’s eldest daughter Kathryn, lifted him up to carry him out into the garden she realised something was wrong.

Jenny found a wound in Stanley's abdomen the "size of a 5p piece".

A post-mortem found he died as a result of a "single penetrating injury to his abdomen, which damaged his bowel and a major artery in his pelvis, causing massive blood loss".

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Speaking after the sentencing, Jenny said: “My mum took him off me and he was looking over her shoulder and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

“Then his head went back and I shouted: 'Put him down. Something’s not right.'"

Hull City fan Stanley, described as a “lovely little boy with a wicked sense of humour” who would “come into the room and lift your spirits”, died less than two hours later in hospital.

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Grannon never apologised for what happened during the course of the court proceedings.

He even maintained "for some time" the pellet had ricocheted off the kitchen floor.

But forensic experts proved his original explanation of the ricochet "was false".

As the police investigation continued, Grannon's response shocked the family.

On the day after what would have been Stanley's seventh birthday, a post from Grannon and his wife on social media showed them posing and smiling for pictures on a cruise holiday.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Offenders released on licence are closely monitored and can be returned to prison if they breach strict conditions such as curfews and exclusion zones."

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