Dying father's final message to pregnant girlfriend after fatal crossbow shooting revealed

A harrowing transcript of a 999 call made by Shane Gilmer to the emergency services was read to a jury at an inquest in Hull on Tuesday.

Mr Gilmer said he "took ages" to get downstairs after being shot in his arm and abdomen by his neighbour Anthony Lawrence who lay in wait for the couple after sneaking into their house in Southburn, near Driffield, through a shared loftspace.

Lawrence blamed the couple for having been served with an eviction notice.

Mr Gilmer, 30, was anxious about what had happened to his girlfriend, Laura Sugden, who was also attacked and wounded by Lawrence, fearing that he had abducted her.

He told the operator in the call on the evening of January 12 2018, that the bolt had penetrated 10 inches into his body and he was "going to die", begging them to "hurry up".

The operator asked him if he could do anything to dress the wound, but he said he could not move.

He said: "I'm in the living room. I need to find her. She sounded so scared."

He went on: "I'm in so much pain, there's an arrow sticking out of my side. I can't get it out. I need them to come and find my girlfriend. Oh God I love her so much."

He said he needed Ms Sugden "to know that I love her" - with the operator then reassuring him that they'd put it "all in the notes for you".

Mr Gilmer said Ms Sugden, who was around 20 weeks pregnant, was due to have a scan to find out the baby's sex, and said: "I really wanted this baby. I really wanted it"

His thoughts also turned to his two daughters from a previous marriage, telling the operator he needed to "say something".

The operator said: "What do you need to say?" He replied: "I love my children."

He also said he needed to "tell Mum and Dad I love them".

He warned the operator that Lawrence was "really dangerous" and said he had been "p***** off with us" after being given notice to vacate the property after the letting agency which managed both properties was made aware that cannabis fumes from Lawrence's house were entering Ms Sugden's daughter's bedroom and exacerbating her asthma.

As the call continues Mr Gilmer said his pain was getting worse, "so much worse", adding: "They are taking too long."

The call ended just after 10pm as police officers arrived and told him that Laura was safe and at the neighbour's house after managing to escape from Lawrence.

Both he and Miss Sugden were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary. But despite "heroic" attempts to save his life, Mr Gilmer died in the early hours of January 13.

Ms Sugden survived after "life-saving treatment", the inquest heard.

The hearing continues.