A gun enthusiast who fired a lethal weapon at least nine times at a thief he believed was trying to steal his motorbike has been handed a 30-year prison sentence.

Christopher Nourse, 45, was convicted of attempting to murder a man at a communal park in Greenhithe and will have to serve at least 20 years before he can be considered for parole.

His brother Colin, 42, was also jailed for 14 years for illegally possessing a firearm.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how the brothers feared their motorbikes were being targeted by thieves and set up CCTV cameras to watch the area where the machines were locked away.

After being alerted, the brothers went to confront the gang and Christopher fired bullets from a Glock pistol which passed through the arm of Ross Eaglestone as he was allegedly trying to free the expensive bikes parked in Cooper Close.

Christopher Nourse, from Ospringe Close, Penge and Colin, from Cooper Close, had bought the illegal weapons before flying to America for target practice.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens said the brothers prepared themselves with semi-automatic weapons.

Prosecutor Martin Yale had told the jury how gunshots "rang out" in the residential area. Police believe at least nine shots were fired – including six at Mr Eaglestone.

He added: "On the evening of March 8, 2020, Ross Eaglestone was with some friends in a white van.

"Shortly after 7:30pm they arrived in the van at Cooper Close in Greenhithe where Colin Nourse lived. The motorcycles were parked in the corner of an adjacent car park.”

The brothers then left in their £37,000 Audi and £78,000 Mercedes as the injured Mr Eagletsone managed to get away.

He added: "The target was a group of men who were in the process of trying to steal some motorcycles, including Mr Eaglestone

"He was hit in the arm by two of the bullets and sustained serious injury. The gunman had a clear intention to kill members of that group.

"And whatever Mr Eaglestone and the group were doing that cannot possibly justify shooting at them at all - let alone in an effort to kill them," he added.

Eaglestone, who is serving a jail sentence, had denied trying to steal the bikes and said he was present intending to buy cannabis nearby.

‘The gunman had a clear intention to kill members of that group’

The jury heard following the shooting, the thieves returned and stole the bikes.

Mr Yale added: "The motorcycles that were being targeted belonged to them. They left Colin's flat shortly before the shooting and returned soon afterward before fleeing to Penge where Christopher lives.

"During that short period, numerous gunshots were fired and the two were forensically linked to bullet casings recovered from the scene."

The jury heard that a handgun used in the shooting was later found hidden underneath a car parked a few streets away from Christopher's home.

The prosecutor continued: "Firearms paraphernalia was later recovered from Colin's flat and a car linked to the brothers. In the month leading up to the incident, the brothers had visited a shooting range in Texas.”

The jury was out for 15 hours before acquitting Colin of attempted murder.

He was then convicted of possessing firearms with intent to endanger lives and Christopher was also found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm.

Judge St. John-Stevens told the brothers that although they were dangerous he rejected passing the maximum sentence of life in prison.

Ian Henderson KC, for Christopher, said the family man had served the equivalent of 400 days in custody which will come off his sentence.

The judge praised the investigating team of DC Chris Coddington, Det Sup Gaven Moss and DS Richard Lejeune for work in bringing the brothers to trial.

‘Greenhithe is a safer place now they are safely behind bars’

Christopher received an immediate 30-year sentence and will have to serve two-thirds before he will be eligible for release and once free, will serve an extra four years on licence.

Colin was given an immediate 14-year jail term and will serve another four years on licence when released.

The pair had to wait more than 17 months to hear the length of their prison time following the trial in July 2022 and the judge told them that the delay was no-one's fault.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens added: “You have now had time to think about what happened and I accept that you genuinely wish you could turn back time and can't understand why you did what you did.

"But you went onto the street intending to fire the weapons."

Following the shooting, the brothers fled and now the judge has ruled they be deprived of a Mercedes A class car and the Glock weapon but he allowed the family to keep a Mercedes car which the pair had used to escape the area after the shooting.

Detective Superintendent Gavin Moss, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “These two men decided to arm themselves with firearms after somebody sought to steal their motorcycles.

“This was extremely reckless and, when one of them discharged his weapon in a residential area. It is only by chance that a member of the public unconnected with the incident did not suffer a fatal injury.

“It is apparent that Colin and Christopher Nourse are dangerous individuals who will not think twice about using violence. Greenhithe is a safer place now they are safely behind bars.”