January 5, 2001 11:26: A man was jailed for four years on Tuesday for taking a shotgun to a showdown with a Chessington traveller who was shot dead with the weapon.

David Stacey, 53, died after being shot in the face during a roadside fight with Leonard Chambers senior, 50, and Leonard Chambers junior, 27, in Moor Lane, in February last year.

Chambers junior, of Chertsey, Surrey, admitted pulling the trigger but said he had meant to fire a warning shot above Mr Staceys head.

Both were cleared of murder charges last month and Chambers senior, of Sevenoaks, Kent, was cleared of manslaughter but convicted of possessing a loaded firearm in a public place.

Police never recovered the weapon used in the killing despite searching a graveyard in the area after Chambers junior claimed in court they had thrown it there during their get-away.

His sons case was adjourned and he may face a retrial on manslaughter charges.

Sentencing Chambers senior at Southwark Crown Court, Judge George Bathurst-Norman said: whatever Stacey had done: It did not justify you taking a loaded shotgun to meet him.

The vendetta started after Chambers senior allegedly refused to provide an alibi for the dead mans son who was subsequently jailed for fraud.

Judge Bathurst-Norman added: It has to be made clear to you and anyone like you that taking a loaded gun even to frighten someone can only result in very long custodial sentences.

By.Cato Pedder