A SHOOTING victim has told of his struggle with three men armed with a sawn-off shotgun who burst into his flat intent on allegedly carrying out a contract killing.

Two of the men, who come from Dorset, allegedly grappled with Jonathan Catchpole while a third, who comes from Somerset, blasted him at point blank range, it has been claimed.

They are Frank Warren, 51, of Victoria Road, Dorchester; Andrew Seaton, 40, of Frome View, Maiden Newton and Simon Webber, 31, of Sydenham Close, Bridgwater.

Another man from Dorset, Paul Baker, 35, of Frome View, Maiden Newton, is alleged to have arranged what the prosecution at Ipswich Crown Court have described as the "attempted assassination" on behalf of Colin Deferia whose daughter had previously been in a relationship with Mr Catchpole.

Deferia, 59, of Barking, Suffolk, is alleged to have offered to pay £12,500 for the killing to be carried out.

All five men have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder while Warren,Seaton and Webber have also denied a charge of attempted murder.

Giving evidence, Mr Catchpole said he and his sister had been subjected to threats and intimidation before the shooting and was "100 per cent certain" that Deferia had been responsible.

After three men burst into his flat in Bury St Edmunds on August 4 last year, Mr Catchpole said he struggled to keep the shotgun away from himself but was then struck on the head, causing him to lose his balance and fall back against a wall.

He told the jury: "I felt someone hitting me over the head and felt some warm blood coming down the side of my face. There was a tussle in the hallway and I was doing my best to grab the shotgun and push it up.”

He added: "'Then I heard a bang and there was a smell. I looked down and there was a hole in my chest with blood spurting out."

Mr Catchpole denied defence suggestions that the gun had gone off as he was struggling with Webber.

After staggering from his flat as the men fled, Mr Catchpole said he managed to get a neighbour to call for help.

Mr Catchpole was airlifted to hospital and underwent surgery to remove 42 shotgun pellets and cartridge wadding from his chest cavity.

The trial continues.