Gunman Alistair Bell asked his father on the phone how best to kill himself while he was still shooting at police officers outside his home, an inquest has heard.

Bell, 42, was fatally shot by police after a six hour stand off at his home  in Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton, on December 27, 2010.

A jury inquest at Bradford Crown Court this morning, heard Bell spoke to his father during the siege when he told him: “I've shot two coppers.”

Gordon Bell, who was called to give evidence, said he was shocked and asked his son what he was doing but he immediately started talking about how to end his own life.

Mr Bell said he knew it was pointless talking his son out of taking his own life because he had already told him he would not go back to prison.

Mr Bell told the jury: “He said what’s the best way of doing it? A gun in the mouth?”

“I said no. Do it from the side of your head. Don’t miss. It will just be like someone giving you a crack over the head.

“It may sound a bit cold-hearted but I knew he had shot at police and didn’t want him to spend the rest of his life in prison.

“He wasn’t just my son. He was my best friend.”

The court heard Alistair Bell had earlier shot at unarmed officers who had gone to arrest him from his home in Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton.

Police markers at scene of shooting of gunman Alistair Bell, Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton
Police markers at scene of shooting of gunman Alistair Bell, Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton

He remained holed up in his house for several hours and fired more than 30 bullets at police, injuring one officer in the back.

During the stand-off Alistair Bell told firearms  officers who were surrounding his home that he had ‘booby trapped’ the front door and was ‘going to blow them all to kingdom come’.

The inquest heard earlier in evidence from armed officer, named only as D20, who fired three shots at Bell when he appeared in view on the stairs inside his home.

Bell collapsed to the foot of the stairs and evidence was heard from paramedic Peter Stamford who attended him who confirmed Bell was conscious and talking when they arrived.

But he told how Bell’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he went into cardiac arrest en route to HRI.

Emergency Consultant Amjid Mohammed at HRI told how CPR was carried out and Bell was pronounced dead at 6.43am.