A MAN accused of the attempted murder of a young mother donned a Mrs Doubtfire-style mask to "scare" her stepbrother after firing two shots from a doubled barrelled shotgun.

Hasan Khan, 24, denies attempting to murder Ashleigh McPherson, 22, who suffered two gunshot wounds to her stomach during an incident at her mother Christine Holdsworth's home in Longfield Drive, East Bowling, Bradford at about 3.10pm on May 16 this year - and to wounding her with intent.

Khan, who started seeing Miss McPherson's sister Sara McPherson when he was 15, lived with her family at the property before the birth of their first child six years ago, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

He said he regarded Ashleigh as his little sister and they had previously shared a room with her and Sara at the property.

Khan of Newlands Avenue, Fagley, said he was "petrified" after Ashleigh and Sara's stepbrother Luke Auker came to his home at around 12.30pm on May 16 this year and assaulted him on his doorstep, as Sara and their three children looked on.

Auker told Khan he was confronting him as he believed Khan had "battered" Sara and Mrs Holdsworth on May 9.

Khan rang a group of his friends to tell them what happened. He said one of his friend's friends told him he could got hold of a shotgun.

Khan said he had never used a shotgun before but was taught how to fire it and given three or four extra pellets for it, before carrying out the shooting.

Khan returned to his house to get his mask before picking up his Mitsubishi Shogun car from a nearby yard, getting changed and going to Longfield Drive with one of his friends.

Questioned in court by his barrister Mohammed Nawaz, Khan said: "I wish I could turn back time but I can't.

"I would never harm her. I had no intention to hurt her. She is my little sister, she is family.

"I felt ashamed by what I had done. It hit me hard. I did not know Ashleigh had been injured until the police told me. My head was all over the place.

"There was about four to five seconds max between the two shots being fired. I just fired, stepped, looked and fired. I knew it was wrong but at the time it felt right.

"I did not want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to damage the property. I thought Luke Auker would be scared, I wanted to really badly scare him.

"If he was scared then they would not come back and hurt my family again.

"I would not have done it if I had seen anybody.

"I went home, got my mask that was on top of my fridge. It was a Mrs Doubtfire-style mask with no hair.

"I was petrified after the fight. I wanted to do something so it would never happen again. I thought he would come back. I was scared for mine, and my family's safety."

Ann-Marie Pulford, 25, of Blackpool, has pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender, by transporting Khan to Blackpool and supplying him with petrol, in an attempt to destroy forensic evidence.

The trial continues.