A DAD-OF-TWO who cheated death after being blasted with a sawn-off double barrelled shotgun said his life has been turned upside down.

Miraculously, Daniel Kennedy, aged 25, only escaped fatal injury when the pellets smashed his mobile phone in his pocket, saving his vital organs.

He was chasing a hooligan who had been terrorising residents at his home in St Michael’s View, Ditton, when he was shot in the abdomen at close range.

Ryan Duggan, aged 19, of Wavell Avenue, Widnes, was convicted of attempted murder at Chester Crown Court on Friday.

Speaking exclusively to the World, after the verdict, Daniel said he felt relieved.

He said: “I am very happy with the verdict.”

Describing the shooting, he added: “It was pretty scary.”

He underwent emergency surgery at Aintree hospital after being wounded on October 15, 2014.

Surgeons discovered one pellet in his bowel and another within his abdominal cavity.

Many more pellets found wedged within the tissues of his abdomen and pelvis can’t be removed.

Daniel has undergone four operations and has returned to hospital more than a dozen times for intensive treatment because of infections and complications.

He had an extensive operation to a deep abscess in his abdomen after the lead shot caused an infection.

His abdominal wall has been reconstructed with a biological mesh.

Now, seven months later, he continues to suffer pain and discomfort.

Daniel said: “I’ve still got a hole in my stomach, It’s an open wound.

“I can’t go back to work.

“This has turned my whole life upside down.”

The court heard that he faces months if not years of hospital treatment.

He suffers chronic pain, scarring, urinary problems and fertility issues.

On the night of the shooting, Daniel had visited his partner, Kayleigh Fox, put their two children to bed and returned to his home.

He took his dog out for a walk and found a gang of 10-15 youths smoking cannabis inside the hallway.

The court heard that youths had been intimidating residents for weeks.

When he discovered he had no water, he suspected the yobs switched it off as a prank and went to confront them.

They hurled abuse at him and he ended up chasing one lad.

Daniel told the jury: “I got within one metre of him. He spun round.

“I saw him holding a big silver thing in his hand.

“There was a flash in front of me. I felt a burning sensation in the bottom of my body.

“It took me off my feet.”

Dr Brian Rogers, consultant forensic pathologist said Daniel’s iPhone had saved his life.

He said if one of the pellets had penetrated a major blood vessel, it would have led to significant internal haemorrhaging.

Dr Rogers told the court: “He would have lost too much blood to have got to hospital in time.

“If his iPhone had not been there it is highly likely he would have died.”