A WOMAN who miraculously survived a horrific crossbow attack that claimed the life of her unborn child's father has issued a heartfelt plea.
Laura Sugden was five months pregnant when her neighbour, Anthony Lawrence, ambushed her and partner Shane Gilmer in their house.
Lawrence, 55, pulled out bricks dividing their loft space before lying in wait in a child's bedroom armed with a deadly bow.
After fatally wounding Shane Gilmer, 30, Lawrence fired at point blank range into Laura's skull - where a part of the bolt today still remains.
In an act of desperate survival, Laura pretended to be dead after being struck in the head and leaving her with injuries that have left permanent scars.
Tragically medics were unable to save Shane who died after being shot twice with the crossbow.
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Murderer Lawrence was later discovered dead in a motorhome.
Since losing Shane, Laura has campaigned relentlessly for increased regulation of crossbows.
Despite their fearsome ability to maim and kill, the vicious weapons are not illegal to own in the UK.
And Laura has now called on the new Labour Government to finally crack down on the dangerous weapons.
Laura, who survived along with unborn daughter Ella, believes there should be tough new legislation after years of Government inaction.
Ministers are exploring options after hundreds responded to a Home Office consultation demanding a crackdown on weapons.
Supporters are hopeful the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill will introduce licensing requirements for the use, possession, and sale of crossbows, akin to those for shotguns.
The bill is expected to be presented to Parliament soon, and one Conservative MP has expressed intentions to propose an amendment for new crossbow regulations should the bill fall short.
Speaking to the Mirror, Laura said: "You can't just go on Amazon and buy a shotgun, so why on earth can you buy a crossbow?
"They are so lethal. Only a couple of days ago I re-read through Shane's postmortem. What it did to his body was unbelievable. And I'm just five weeks out of surgery having a bolt removed from my head.
"I don't want to read any more about people being shot by crossbows.
"And I feel like this is the last thing I can do for him. I don't want to read about any more cases like this."
The tragic case of Carol, Hannah, and Louise Hunt, who were brutally murdered in their Bushey home in Hertfordshire in July, has once again brought the issue of crossbow control into the spotlight.
Carol Hunt, the wife of BBC star John Hunt, and two of her daughters were allegedly tied up before being killed.
Postmortem examinations revealed that Hannah and Louise were killed by crossbow bolt injuries, while their mother was fatally stabbed.
Armed police swooped on the street where the bodies of the three women were found inside the £800,000 suburban home.
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Hannah's ex-partner, Kyle Clifford, who sustained serious self-inflicted injuries, was arrested on suspicion of committing the murders.
Police confirmed no shots had been fired and nobody else was being sought over the triple tragedy.
