David Forbes, 42, from Wallasey, was staying at his partner's home in Croxteth on February 28, 2025, when he volunteered to go to the chip shop for his 15-year-old stepson. As he walked along Cubert Road, a man dressed in black approached and aimed a shotgun at him.
Details of the attack
David said: "I've crossed over the road, he's crossed over as well. I thought it was weird, all in black. I was a bit wary of him, and then I thought: 'he's coming towards me, he's getting closer'." The man mumbled something, stopped, pointed the gun down and walked back. David continued walking, but the attacker then fired, hitting David's legs with hundreds of shotgun pellets.
David collapsed and dragged himself back across the street, crawling into the house. His partner's 22-year-old son initially thought it was a prank until he saw the blood-soaked denim. David's stepdaughter, a qualified doctor from Sudan, stemmed the bleeding until armed police and paramedics arrived. He underwent an 11-hour operation to save his legs.
Aftermath and recovery
David spent two weeks in hospital after reconstructive surgery. Doctors left his wounds open for two days before stapling them shut. He was discharged on crutches, playing 'Shotgun' by George Ezra on the drive home. However, within weeks he was readmitted with swelling and blood clots, requiring additional surgery. To date, he has had over 200 staples and spent nearly a full day under the surgeon's knife.
Sixteen months after the shooting, David continues to deal with the aftermath. He said: "I was struggling to just be able to go to the shop and carry a bag and stuff, you know? ... There is the PTSD. Like on Bonfire Night, fireworks going off, I was waking up with panic attacks." His partner's now 16-year-old son feels anxious about leaving the front door open.
Sentencing and perpetrator
Daniel Lawless, 23, also known as Daniel Williams, was jailed for 18-and-a-half years with an additional four years on licence after confessing to wounding with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. A previous charge of attempted murder was left on file. CCTV showed Lawless extracting a shotgun from a carrier bag and displaying it to three men before the attack. The firearm was never recovered.
In July 2025, while in prison, Lawless doused his cell mate with boiling sugar water, causing his skin to melt off. He later boasted 'I've done him'.
Ongoing impact
David lost his job as a construction site manager due to being on probation at the time. He is scheduled for further surgery on his tendons and muscles, which can only be done once and will take over a year to recover, with no guarantee of success. His family continues to receive support from neighbours who know he was an innocent victim.
