A Bradford man was found guilty of blasting a couple with a shotgun outside a city nightclub.

A jury took just over two hours to find Khawar Butt, 22, guilty of maliciously wounding with intent Dane Barratt and his 17-year-old girlfriend at the time, Gemma Tuohey, as they left the Planet Venus club in the early hours of last November 27.

He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Judge George Newman, at Leeds Crown Court, directed the jury to find Butt, of Sandford Road, Bradford Moor, not guilty on two counts of attempted murder.

Butt's co-defendant Dean Carden, 22, of Blackmoor Road, Moortown, Leeds, had denied all charges at the start of the trial, which lasted two weeks, but changed his plea to guilty on two counts of wounding with intent and possession of a firearm. The judge had also previously directed the jury to find him not guilty on two counts of attempted murder.

The jury heard how Mr Barratt and Miss Tuohey were targeted as they left the club with a single blast from a car parked across the road.

Miss Tuohey was struck by more than 150 pellets. Roger Thomas, QC, prosecuting, said she only escaped with her life because she turned her back on her attacker as he pulled the trigger.

Mr Barratt was hit by nine pellets, including one which passed clean through his thumb.

The jury was told Mr Barratt and Miss Tuohey had been among a group of people from Leeds who went to the City Road nightclub. They included Mr Barratt's cousin Jamie George who had knocked Dean Carden out during a fight two weeks earlier.

When Mr George left the club he was taunted by Butt and Carden and ran away.

The victims stepped out of the club at 2.15am and spotted Butt and Carden in a white Nissan Sunny across the road. Mr Barratt shouted across to the pair "what is all this trouble about?" but was answered only with the shotgun blast.

The pair will be sentenced on Friday alongside Kelly Slater and Georgina Kitson, who earlier pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Judge Newman expressed concern about the intimidation of witnesses and said he expected officers to investigate a motive for the shooting and the circumstances surrounding witness intimidation.

Speaking after the trial, the senior investigating officer on the case, Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock, said: "It has been a very complex and thorough investigation that spanned ten months. People have been reluctant or resisted coming forward to give evidence.

"But the message to get across is that if people come together and give evidence, whether it takes six months or ten months, those who use guns in West Yorkshire can be brought to justice."