AN 83-year-old farmer shot an alleged burglar he thought was trying to steal diesel from tanks outside his house, a court has heard.

Kenneth Hugill, 83, admitted shooting Richard Stables in the right foot with a double-barrelled shotgun in the middle of the night.

5 Kenneth Hugill, 83, shot an alleged burglar, pictured outside court with his wife Credit: rich196@rich196.karoo.co.uk

He has denied inflicting grievous bodily harm during the confrontation at his Yorkshire farm in November 2015, instead claiming he was acting in self-defence.

Hull Crown Court today heard how Hugill became “suspicious” when he saw a vehicle driving slowly along the isolated track towards his farm at 2am.

"I saw was the silhouette of a vehicle going past the farmhouse," he said, according to the Daily Mail.

"I thought it was creeping up slowly with no noise and no lights on and thought it was up to no good."

He got dressed, went to his shotgun cabinet and put two cartridges in his double-barrelled shotgun.

Mr Hugill went outside in the pitch darkness and claimed he was startled by the sound of a revving engine.

5 Richard Stables was shot in the right foot with a double-barrelled shotgun Credit: rich196@rich196.karoo.co.uk

5 Mr Hugill denied inflicting grievous bodily harm during the confrontation at his Yorkshire farm in November 2015 Credit: sunpictures1@news.co.uk

"I stood still and practically immediately heard the engine, very, very loud. I was petrified for a second or two and thought it was coming at me," he said.

"I fired the shotgun to the side of the vehicle towards the floor. The lights of the vehicle were off. I didn't want to hit anybody, just frighten them away."

The court heard he fired a shot down the side of the vehicle and a second shot up in the air.

He claimed he "didn't see a person down the side of the car, didn't intend to injure anyone, and wasn't aware he had done".

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Mr Hugill's son, David, called Humberside Police at 2.23am to report a "burglary" relating to diesel stored in a tank at his father's farm.

He told officers a 4x4 vehicle was involved, but it was not known if any fuel had been stolen.

"He didn't mention at the time that a shotgun had been discharged," said Mr Dunn.

Stables told the court he had been out hunting for rabbits at night when he was confronted by Hugill outside the farmer’s home in Wilberfoss, Yorkshire.

Stables told a jury he was putting his dog back inside a Land Rover Discovery when he was shot in the foot without warning.

5 Hugill told police he became “suspicious” when he saw a vehicle driving slowly along the isolated track towards his farm at 2am Credit: rich196@rich196.karoo.co.uk

He said he remembered seeing a “figure about 15ft to 20ft away".

Prosecutor Christopher Dunn told the court: "It was Mr Hugill.

"He said he heard no warnings but then saw a flash and heard an explosion and started to run and thought it had blown his right foot off,” he said, according to York Press.

CCTV footage showed Stables being dropped off by his friend at York District Hospital after the incident.

He was suffering a shotgun injury to his foot.

Mr Dunn said the man "gave three different accounts as to how he came by these injuries at the hospital".

He first claimed they were self-inflicted in an accident before changing his story to say he was shot accidentally by a friend.

It was only when it was realised how serious the injuries were he finally disclosed it was a farmer that shot him, Mr Dunn said.

5 Mr Hugill's son, David, called Humberside Police at 2.23am to report a "burglary" Credit: rich196@rich196.karoo.co.uk

The man underwent "several" operations and was kept in hospital until 12 December 2015.

He was arrested and interviewed by police following David Hugill's call to police.

Stables said he had been out lamping, but denied poaching.

He said they had driven onto the land to let the dog out to go to the toilet and it ran off after seeing some rabbits.

He said his friend had driven up to the buildings and turned the engine and lights off so they didn't disturb anyone.

The court heard Mr Stables had a criminal history with convictions for burglary, theft and possession of an offensive weapon.

The trial continues.