Man found guilty of murder after fatal shooting in The Meadows
Jack Preston changes story multiple times before jury conviction
A jury at Nottingham Crown Court has convicted Jack Preston, 34, of murder following the fatal shooting of Coel Tainton, 24, in the early hours of 28th February.
Preston shot Tainton with a double-barrelled shotgun in his home at Ryeland Gardens, The Meadows, after the pair had been socialising and discussing a phone with drug dealing contacts on it.
CCTV footage captured the two men together throughout the evening and later at Preston's home. It was there that Preston shot Tainton, before moving the shotgun to the garden and calling emergency services, falsely alleging a masked intruder had committed the act.
Despite attempts to save him, Tainton was pronounced dead at 6:08 AM. Preston's DNA was found on the firearm, dismantling his initial claim of self-defence, stating that Tainton had tried to rob him.
Preston was charged with murder, possession of a shortened shotgun, and assaulting an emergency worker during custody. He admitted to the firearms offence and the assault but denied murder.
Detective Inspector Clare Gibson of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said, "Preston's actions have caused unimaginable pain to Coel's family. He augmented their suffering by altering his account of events and blaming Coel for his own death."
Preston is due to be sentenced on 24th September, and authorities hope it will provide some comfort to Coel's family and friends.