A BRADFORD father shot at point-blank range by two masked men said goodbye to his wife because he thought he was dying, a jury was told.

Kevin Ruding, 26, lost his right lung and his left leg when he was attacked in his bed in the early hours of January 30 by intruders dressed in black armed with long-barrelled firearms, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

William Lowther, 47, of Copgrove Road, Holme Wood, Bradford, is on trial denying attempting to murder Mr Ruding and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Mr Ruding, who was in a wheelchair in his video recorded police interview, told how he was asleep in bed at his home in Greenholme Court, Holme Wood, when the men broke in.

He said he was woken when he was shot in the leg and saw two men in balaclavas standing side by side in the bedroom doorway.

Each was carrying a long shotgun with a gold trigger, Mr Ruding recalled.

He said one of the men then put the gun to his chest and shot him at close range.

Mr Ruding said everything went quiet and then his wife Emily came into the room and held a pillow over his chest wound to staunch the blood.

She was crying, screaming and shaking him to keep him awake while she was on the phone to the emergency operator waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

Mr Ruding told how he said goodbye to his wife because he thought he was going to die.

The jury heard that he could not see the men’s faces because they were wearing balaclavas with just holes for eyes. They also had gloves on.

Mr Ruding said he was fit and well before the attack. His wife now had to look after him and that put a lot of stress on her.

Mrs Ruding told the police she was woken just after 2am by the sound of someone smashing their way into the house.

There were three men on the upstairs landing, and one pointed a gun at her. A second was carrying an axe that he swung in her direction, she said.

She went into her young son’s room and heard two gunshots.

Mrs Ruding wept as she told how blood was pumping from her husband’s chest.

He said: “I’m dying. I’m dying,” while waiting for the emergency services.

Her husband said the men had shotguns, she told the jury.

Firearms officers arrived in armed response vehicles and Mr Ruding was treated at the scene by paramedics and then operated on in Leeds General Infirmary.

Opening the case for the Crown last week, Simon Myerson QC said the three men used a gas canister to smash their way in through the rear door of the house.

He alleged that the canister had Lowther’s DNA on it.

Lowther told the police he was innocent and would not be forensically linked to the crime.

Mr Myerson said the attackers carefully planned their escape route after the shooting using two stolen vehicles.

But a Freelander on false plates broke down on a track the men were using to avoid being seen by CCTV cameras. They set it on fire and continued their journey on foot.

The trial continues.