A shooting victim was identified as the little sister of the youth who pulled the trigger, after a court application by the Manchester Evening News and the Press Association.

The judge agreed with their written submissions that there was an overriding public interest in allowing the press to report the case fully, to get across to the public the “appalling and tragic consequences” of guns.

Standing in the dock wearing a t-shirt with a photograph of 12-year-old Kamilah Peniston on the front and back, Kasha Peniston, (17), admitted manslaughter yesterday at Manchester Crown Court.

Kamilah died in May after being shot in the forehead with a revolver at close range when Kasha was playing with a gun that his mother had illegally brought to the family home.

Legal restrictions meant that the boy could not be previously identified, or reports published to explain that the victim of the shooting was his little sister Kamilah, but a challenge by the MEN and PA overturned the ruling.

The two news organisations submitted applications to lift an order under section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act shortly before yesterday’s hearing after discovering that Kasha was to admit manslaughter.

MEN journalist Nicola Dowling had previously submitted an application at an earlier hearing, and was told it would be considered yesterday.

She told holdthefrontpage: “Without getting the order lifted we wouldn’t really have been able to get the human impact across.”

Prosecuting counsel Paul Reid QC supported the application, saying it would help highlight the the dangers of illegal firearms, and also because leaving Kasha anonymous would make accurate reporting of the circumstances and family relationships of the victim, mother and brother, very complicated.

If the press had been unable to identify him, they would have had to decide whether to leave his mother anonymous, but give the family relationships, or whether to name the mother but give no indication of the relationship between the killer and victim.

Sentencing was adjourned to a later date.