AN inquest was opened today into the death of a 74-year-old man shot by a crossbow as he tried to adjust a satellite dish outside his remote home.

Gerald Corrigan who lived near the South Stack nature reserve outside Holyhead in Anglesey had been taken to a major trauma unit at Stoke-on-Trent after being shot in the early hours of April 19 – Good Friday.

A murder probe is under way to try and find his killer.

North West Wales senior coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones at Caernarfon said Mr Corrigan died on May 11.

The coroner said : "On April 19 Mr Corrigan was found at his home all covered in blood.

He was taken to the local hospital and they realised Mr Corrigan had been shot. It later transpired he had been shot with a crossbow.

“A post-mortem examination was carried out and there was a detailed forensic examination.

There’s been a further post-mortem carried out as well to see if we could gain any more information.”

The body was released last week for a funeral. Nobody has been charged so far in connection with the death. The inquest was adjourned.

Mr Corrigan worked as a lecturer in photography and video in Lancashire before retiring to Anglesey more than 20 years ago and had a keen interest in nature.

The pensioner suffered “horrendous injuries” after the bolt passed through his upper body and right arm.

One theory was that a “lamper” hunting animals late at night with the aid of a powerful light fired the bolt.

Detectives have called in national experts for assistance and appealed to the culprit to come forward.

They visited nearby caravan sites to check whether Easter holidaymakers knew anything.