A man who shot himself in the foot while trying to murder both his parents with a crossbow, has been sentenced to a hospital order.

Richard Hignett slipped tranquilisers into his parents' drinks with an aim to shoot them dead in the night, but his plan failed when he accidentally impaled himself with the intended murder weapon.

While his father had noticed a strange taste in his drink and poured most of it away, his mother had drunk a larger dose, and both went to bed early after feeling unusually tired.

Richard Hignett, 32, shot himself through the foot with his crossbow which he had intended using to kill his mother and father before taking his own life

Hignett admitted two counts of administering a substance with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely murder

Throughout the night, Hignett, 32, failed to execute his plans as the arrow remained lodged in his left foot, and he was eventually found attempting to cut his shoe off when his father walked in at 4pm the next day.

Emergency services rushed to the scene on Studley Road in Wootton, Bedfordshire, initially to reports of a 'domestic incident', however Hignett later told the police he had taken out the crossbow intending to kill his parents and then himself.

Upon his appearance in court, Hignett admitted slipping them the drug Alprazolam, a type of tranquiliser, with intent to commit murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Aaron Kiff of Bedfordshire Police said: 'The hospital order received by Richard Hignett means he will remain in hospital until such time as the Secretary of State for Justice deems he is no longer a risk to the public.

'This was a particularly shocking incident to deal with, but I hope his time in hospital allows Hignett an opportunity to reflect on his actions, as well as the help that he needs.'

A spokesman from Bedfordshire Police said: 'Richard Hignett, aged 32 years and of Studley Road in Wootton, Bedfordshire pleaded guilty at Luton Crown Court to two counts of administering a substance with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely murder.

'After obtaining Alprazolam, a type of tranquiliser, during the early evening of March 9 last year, Hignett gave his parents drinks which were spiked with the drug. Hignett's father noticed the drink had an odd taste and so poured the majority of it away, but his mother drank it.

'At some point over the following hours, Hignett accidentally shot himself in his left foot. He was found trying to cut off his shoe, with an arrow lodged in his foot, at around 4pm the following day by his father.'