Former Brookside actor jailed over gangland shooting

A former soap star who admitted driving the getaway car in a gangland shooting has been cleared of murder.

Brian Regan, 53, who played Terry Sullivan in Channel 4's Brookside, was found not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court over his role in the killing of nightclub doorman Bahman Faraji, 44.

He was convicted of two counts of perverting the course of justice by lying to police in the early stages of the murder investigation and disposing of a pair of gloves he wore on the night.

Regan, who was on bail for supplying cocaine when the murder took place, was jailed on January 25 for a total of four years and 10 months.

The facts can only now be revealed after Mrs Justice Nicola Davies lifted reporting restrictions put in place to avoid prejudicing the trial of another defendant, Jason Gabbana, who was convicted of murder on Thursday.

Gabbana, 29, was found guilty of murder by an 11 to one majority at Liverpool Crown Court after standing trial accused of ordering the execution of father-of-one Mr Faraji.

The victim, accused by Gabbana's defence of drug dealing and running an illegal protection racket, was gunned down at close range after he was lured to the Belgrave pub in Aigburth, Liverpool, on the evening of February 24 last year.