Father jailed for gun attack on son

10:55am Saturday 8th September 2007

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A man who shot his son at least four times from close range to settle a family argument has been jailed for 18 years.

Barry Hayes, aged 58 shot his son, aged 31, in the head, leg and chest with a modified air rifle after following him in his car.

After the attack, Hayes, from Cadishead, Salford, drove his son to hospital, where he was arrested.

Hayes, of The Vista, Cadishead, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and possessing a firearm on April 25.

He has been ordered to serve at least nine years.

Hayes' son, whom police have not named, was driving along Liverpool Road to work in Cadishead at about 6.50am on November 7 last year when he saw his dad following him in his car. He turned into Moss Lane and stopped near to The Plough pub.

Hayes pulled into Moss Lane and stopped and both men got out of their cars.

Hayes' son realised Hayes was carrying a gun just before he fired the weapon, hitting him a number of times with pellets from the air rifle.

Hayes tried to run away down a nearby alley, but his father followed him.

After shooting his son again, witnesses heard Hayes talking to somebody on a mobile phone, and forcing his injured son to speak to them too. It transpired that this call was to another relative, whom Hayes was having a dispute with at the time.

The relative called the emergency services.

Despite being badly injured, Hayes' son had managed to calm his father, and Hayes drove his victim to hospital.

He admitted to doctors that he had shot his son because of the family argument. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Hayes' son had extensive surgery to remove pellets. One was removed from his head and another had punctured his heart. Doctors had to stitch the lower ventricle back together afterwards.

His right lung had collapsed and had to be drained of blood.

Two pellets could not be removed from his body.