THUG JAILED FOR SHOOTING POSTMAN

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A TWISTED thug who shot a postman delivering mail to a Barrhead street has been jailed for more than five years.

Grant Finnigan appeared from custody at Paisley Sheriff Court last week to face charges for the shooting.

The postie was making his Saturday morning rounds on May 23 in Crossmill Avenue when he was shot twice in the head by Finnigan.

He was rushed to hospital where he received emergency surgery to remove a pellet lodged in his head.

He also lost a tooth in the unprovoked attack.

As a precaution, Royal Mail had to suspend all deliveries for a week in the Crossmill and Dunterlie areas because of the attack forcing residents to collect their own mail from the Post Office on Cross Arthurlie Street.

One source told the News at the time of the shocking incident: "He was very shaken up.

"His family were absolutely distraught when they were told he had been shot.

"I was told the pellet just missed his brain.

"He is very lucky to be alive."

East Renfrewshire Council's community safety convener Mary Montague condemned the attack and said the sentence handed to Finnigan is justified.

She said: "I am very pleased that justice has been served.

"Not only was the person responsible for a cowardly attack on a public servant doing a vitally important community job detected but an appropriate sentence has been handed down. All public sector workers deserve to work in a safe environment and there is no place in East Renfrewshire or in Barrhead for attacks of this kind."

Finnigan, 21, of Barrhead, pled guilty to recklessly discharging an air pistol at another person and striking his victim on the head with ball bearings to his injury.

He also admitted that between May 20 and May 23, both dates inclusive, at Glasgow Road and Crossmill Avenue, both Barrhead, he was in possession of an air pistol and had ball bearings for ammunition.

Finnigan was ordered to serve a total of five years and three months behind bars but both sentences are to run concurrently so he will only serve three years nine months.