A 29-year-old thug is facing a lengthy jail sentence after admitting shooting two men at a gypsy camp last summer.

Gerry Connors was remanded in custody amid tight security at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday.

Connors was originally charged with attempting to murder Paul Saunders and John Saunders at the camp at Upchurch, near Gillingham, on May 2.

But his guilty pleas to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the two men and three of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence were accepted by the prosecution.

Connors also admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Junior Palmer during an incident in London the same day.

The two attempted murder charges and one of robbery were left on the court file.

Jonathan Higgs, prosecuting, said it was accepted that in shooting Paul and John Saunders, Connors did not mean to kill them.

"He specifically disputes that he put the gun to the heads of John Saunders and Paul Saunders and pulling the gun with it not working," he said.

Mr Higgs said he did not take issue with the assertion that Paul Saunders had carried a firearm in the past.

"He has previously been involved in a shooting which resulted in his prosecution for murder," he said. "He was acquitted at trial. He maintained he acted in self-defence."

Connors accepted brandishing a loaded gun at Mr Palmer but said he did not fire it.

Connors, of Haycroft Road, Surbiton, Surrey, was arrested in Dublin on May 18 and extradited back to the UK.

Adjourning sentence until June 5, Judge Andrew Patience, QC, ordered that probation and psychiatric reports should address the question of dangerousness.

He added that he wanted to know if there was a significant risk, whether it was possible to predict if it would "evaporate".