A MAN who shot at the feet of a club doorman who had bullied him for months failed to have his life sentence cut yesterday.

Brian Mark, counsel for Stephen Brown, of Elm Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, described as "Draconian" the sentence imposed after his client pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm at Newcastle Crown Court, in September 1999.

Under "two strikes and you are out" guidelines, offenders who are convicted of two similar serious offences must be given a life sentence, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Brown was given life because, in 1990, he was convicted of unlawful wounding and affray.

Mr Mark argued that a psychiatric report showed he was unlikely to re-offend, but Appeal Court judges rejected his submissions.

Mr Justice Burton, who heard the case with Lord Justice Kay and Judge Kenneth Zuker QC, said Brown had psychotic tendencies, a history of violent offending and was a continuing risk to society.

He said that they could not establish that there was no significant risk to the public.

Mr Justice Burton said Brown suffered months of bullying and harassment by the victim, who worked as a doorman in Stanley, and his father had died just before the shooting.

In January 1999, Brown went to the workingmen's club where the victim worked and was refused entry.

A few hours later the victim, by now off duty, was in the foyer of the Buzz nightclub when Brown and a friend were refused entry. Fighting broke out and spilled out on to the street.

Brown and the victim went into an alley before Brown produced a shotgun from his car and fired it at the feet of the victim.

The victim sustained injuries to his neck, face, legs and arms and had unsuccessful surgery to remove a pellet from his neck.