A man who shot a teenager in the back at a nightclub was this morning jailed for ten years.

Dwayne Signor, 29, was convicted by a jury last month of wounding 18-year-old Shawn Williams and possessing a gun at the Royal Artillery Association Club in St. George early on Easter Sunday.

Signor, from St. George's, admitted grabbing the firearm during a bar brawl and pulling the trigger on Mr. Williams, causing serious injuries.

However, he told the jury during his nine-day Supreme Court trial that it was an accident, while acting in a panic.

Jailing him today, Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said: “The prevalence of gun possession and use of guns in Bermuda is at a all-time high and has greatly concerned residents of this small territory.

“There’s a great need for a message to be made and it must be made loud and clear that possession of a gun will not be tolerated and must be deterred by a lengthy sentence.”

See tomorrow's edition of The Royal Gazette for the full story.