Son had to plead for his life as father was shot dead

A FARMER’S son has told how he wrestled with the gunman who shot him and his father.

Robert McCormick, 53, shot former friend Peter Thompson over a £156,000 debt, then went after his son, who was working nearby.

John Thompson, 38, has spoken of the moment he was attacked by his father’s killer and how he wept for mercy.

He said: “I said ‘Robert, you know this has nothing to do with me. You’ll ruin my son’s life’. Never seeing my wee boy again was all I could think of.

“He didn’t speak for ages, then shouted ‘this is for him then’ and [shot] my legs. I managed to grab the gun but only had one hand on it. He was pointing it at my stomach – I thought I was dead.”

He was able to wrestle the gun from McCormick and the older man ran off to his car.

He said: “He was getting another gun. The blood was spraying out my legs but I was able to hobble along. One of my friends was coming up the drive in his car.”

He was taken to a nearby pub and an ambulance was called. McCormick fled the farm and later committed suicide in a layby.

Police found Peter Thompson lying in a pool of blood, shot in the head.

He had borrowed money from McCormick on the pretext of setting up a landfill business and riding school, but spent it on luxury trips and fast cars. The firm eventually went bust.

Mr Thompson Jnr said: “Robert lent the money as he said my father was the closest thing he had to a brother.

“After the company went bust it was common knowledge that Robert wasn’t getting his money back. I felt terrible for him.”