THE father of shooting victim Sophie Finucane has delivered a heartfelt anti-gun message to Manchester.

John Finucane, 37, who is caring for her as she recovers from terrible injuries, spoke to the M.E.N. after a man admitted accidentally shooting her in the head with a loaded revolver.

Wayne David Bryan, 20, was dancing with the gun 'to look cool' in the living room of Sophie's house when it accidentally went off, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Sophie, 16, was blasted once in the head and fell into a 10-day coma before making a remarkable recovery.

Mr Finucane described playing with firearms was 'a suicide mission' and said his daughter's experience should serve as a strong warning to people carrying guns in Greater Manchester.

He said: "Knives and guns are wrong. Sophie could have been killed. She should be dead with the wounds that she had. Dancing with a loaded gun is a suicide mission and this case serves as a warning to others.

"I cannot give a reaction until I know what sentence he has got, but I am pleased that there will not be a trial."

Bryan, of Gorton Villa Walk, Gorton, was warned by Judge Andrew Gilbart QC, the Recorder of Manchester, that a prison sentence was inevitable after he pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, possession of a prohibited firearm, two counts of possessing ammunition and one count of having firearms in a public place, namely an imitation firearm.

The court was told that he did not deliberately intend to shoot Sophie.

Adrian Farrow, prosecuting, said that at the time of the shooting in June, Bryan, Sophie and another unnamed man were together at Sophie's house in Ashover Avenue, Gorton.

The second man was asleep and Bryan was dancing, with Sophie sat on an armchair directly opposite him.

Mr Farrow said: "He says that he found at the side of the chair a bag. In the bag he found a weapon that he described as a revolver. In his words, he thought it was cool. He continued to dance, waving his arms around and the gun went off. The bullet struck Sophie."

The court heard that the fifth charge of having firearms in a public place related to an image found on Bryan's mobile phone. It showed Bryan and an unidentified man holding what are believed to be imitation firearms.

Sophie was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital, where she had brain surgery, and remained in a critical condition as her family and friends kept a desperate vigil at her bedside.

She woke up after 10 days in intensive care then, just six weeks later, Sophie began to speak her first words. Mr Finucane described her as a 'living miracle'.

 Last month, brave Sophie made her first public appearance at an anti-violence conference. She was discharged from hospital on Wednesday and is now said to be walking again.

She will live with her father in County Cork, Ireland. Mr Finucane - who also spoke out against gun crime at the conference - added: "We are moving on. Sophie is OK. She has a long way to go and is having a lot of therapy. We are taking one day at a time. It is disgusting what he has done to Sophie.

"He has ruined her life. She is never going to fully come back to herself."

Bryan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on October 24.

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