Patient shot GP with crossbow at Watford surgery

Dr Gary Griffith avoided serious injury because his shirt was untucked and the crossbow bolt had to pass through layers of gathered fabric

A GP was shot in the stomach with a crossbow bolt by a patient, who said: "You killed my father and I am going to kill you," a jury heard.

Dr Gary Griffith was writing up notes at his Watford surgery in July last year when Mark Waterfall walked in and fired, St Albans Crown Court heard.

Mr Waterfall, 46, of South Oxhey, denies attempted murder.

Four days earlier, his father, Terrence, had died in hospital after being seen by the GP, the court heard.

Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew told the jury Mr Waterfall had been a patient of Dr Griffiths for 10 years and and in the days before the attack developed a "festering hatred" for him.

'Pulled wound apart'

He said it was based on what he perceived as the mistreatment of himself and his 76-year-old father, who had complained to the GP of breathlessness.

Dr Griffith arranged for fluid to be drained from his right lung at Watford General, but he was discovered to have lung cancer and died the next day, on 6 July.

On 10 July, Mr Waterfall walked into the consultation room at Suthergrey House Medical Centre with the crossbow concealed under two carrier bags.

The doctor said he was shot from a distance of about 5ft (1.5m) but managed to pull the arrow out and placed it on his desk.

"Although the wound was gaping it hadn't gone into the colon," he said.

"I had to pull the wound apart to check if it had gone into the bowel."

The jury heard the crossbow was capable of causing a fatal injury but the bolt had not penetrated deeply because Dr Griffith's untucked shirt had been gathered around his abdomen.

'Loony bin'

He said the defendant looked down at the floor "dejected" and, realising he had failed to kill him, said: "I can't even get that right."

Mr Waterfall dropped the crossbow and walked out, with the doctor following him to the car park and trying to persuade him to go to police, the jury heard.

Dr Griffith tried to talk to his attacker in the surgery car park before he drove off, the jury was told

The defendant told him he had "murdered" his father, adding: "You have been sending me to a loony bin for 30 years."

Police discovered he had made video and audio recordings in which he referred to GPs as "medical perverts" and branded them cheats and liars.

Mr Mulgrew said they demonstrated the defendant's "irrational and growing hatred" towards Dr Griffith.

Mr Waterfall, of Fairhaven Crescent, had earlier admitted a charge of wounding Dr Griffith with intent, the jury heard.

Explaining the recordings, he said he believed doctors, including Dr Griffith, "hadn't provided the correct sort of treatment for me or my father" and Dr Griffith had refused him access to his medical files.

Asked by his barrister Charles Langley if he had brought the crossbow with the intent to harm or kill the GP, he replied "no", and said he had wanted to "try and scare Dr Griffith".

The trial continues.