A 33-YEAR-OLD has been found guilty of attempted murder after firing a shotgun through a letterbox and shooting a man's finger off.

Adam Willis, of no fixed address, admitted pulling the trigger but denied trying to kill Lloyd Walls when he and two other men visited his house in Brighton.

After a four-week trial at Hove Crown Court the jury decided Willis was guilty of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Mark Gadsden, prosecuting, had told the jury how Willis, who was living in Charlotte Street, Brighton, at the time of the shooting, was interviewed by police and admitted pulling the trigger.

Willis said: "Listen mate I have been in and out of trouble all my young life and most of my adult life."

He said: "I pulled the trigger. I don't want anyone to spend time in prison for what I did.

"I can't be bothered with a solicitor."

The other two men - Hayden Pendleton, 29, of Grove Hill, Brighton and Spencer Bowen, 24, of Heathfield Avenue, Dover – also stood trial for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Pendleton was found not guilty and the jury are yet to return a verdict on Bowen.

Mr Walls was watching TV at his home in Elmore Road on January 27 when he heard a knock at his door.

The knock turned to kicks and he opened it the door.

Giving evidence behind a screen last month he said he saw a gun being held by a chunky man with a shaved head flanked by two others, and he immediately shut the door.

The court heard how the men shouted "Open the door, TJ." and the victim told the suspects two or three times that was not his name.

As they continued to kick at the door, the victim held his whole body weight against the door, and then the shotgun was fired.

He said: "I wasn't going to open that door to them, and then I heard a bang.

"I stood by the door and I was not letting them in.

"It didn't matter if there was 20 of them, they weren't getting in.

"I heard a bang, saw a bit of smoke and a smelt a funny smell then I noticed I didn't have a finger left on my hand and there was blood coming from my top.

"I was petrified.

"I thought I was going to die.

"I thought they were going to come through the door."

Mr Walls stood in his garden on the phone to police with a towel wrapped around his severed finger which later had to be amputated.

Shrapnel also pierced his torso in the attack.

Willis will be sentenced in January.