He changes his plea halfway through his trial

A GUNMAN has admitted shooting a partygoer in the head following a row at a New Year’s Eve party - halfway through his trial.

Kirk Franklin, 23, fired a converted pistol at 22-year-old Jemaine McDougall, at point blank range in the car park of Asda in Forty Lane, Wembley, in the early hours of New Year’s Day this year.

The Old Bailey heard Mr McDougall miraculously survived after the bullet fragmented on impact with his forehead and did not pass through the skull.

Franklin initially claimed he thought he was only firing a blank but later insisted he was wrongly identified.

Today (Tuesday) he changed his story again and accepted he was the gunman but did not intend to kill Mr McDougall.

Jurors heard the pair had argued at a party which took place in the Chalkhill Estate in Wembley, hours before.

Franklin stormed off threatening to return with a gun and when Mr McDougall left the party with a group of friends at around 5am they were confronted in the car park by the gunman who was brandishing his weapon.

Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse said: “Kirk Franklin then walked up to Jemaine, pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger.

“Immediately after firing the shot he ran back to the car and drove off.”

The gun has never been found.

Franklin, from Stanmore, Middlesex, admitted grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and the prosecution agreed to drop the charge of attempted murder.

He will be sentenced on November 19.

A second man, Andrew Rock, 24, of no fixed address, remains on trial accused of assisting Franklin by driving him away from the scene after the shooting.

He denies assisting an offender.

The trial continues.