A terminally-ill man is hoping he can stay alive long enough to reunite with his wife when she is released from behind bars despite her plots to have him murdered.

Ray Weatherall was lucky to survive after the daughter of his wife’s secret lover put a bullet through his jaw with a .22 rifle after laying in wait for him for about five hours at Sandwich Marina.

Heather Pollard, her father, Glenn and Ray’s wife, Hayley Weatherall, were each jailed for life at Maidstone Crown Court in November 2018.

Almost six years on from the conviction, Mr Weatherall, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015, says he is “hanging on” until Hayley is released in nine years and has “totally forgiven” her.

Despite his condition, he still makes 200-mile round-trips every month to see her at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey and is looking forward to throwing a “big party” when she is finally out.

“My aim is to survive long enough so Hayley can be released from prison, and she can come back home,” he told the Daily Mirror.

“This house is as much hers as it is mine. I can't wait to have her back. I should've been dead years ago.

“It's a miracle I am here. My aim is to see her walk through that door. I will stay alive long enough for that.

“People say I'm mad, but I don't care. I visit her each month, and we kiss and hug, which is lovely.

“Hayley was brainwashed. She was a fool. She has always been easily led astray. And she's serving a life sentence for that stupidity. But I blame my old friend Glenn entirely.”

Mr Weatherall says he doesn't ever want to see his ex-best friend again, and he won't be invited to Hayley's release party.

He and Glenn had been friends for more than 20 years and went shooting together.

Hayley, who was 32 when she was jailed in 2018, and Ray married in December 2015, shortly after his diagnosis.

The following year, he was given only 18 months to live. He was also diabetic and needed daily insulin injections.

In court, it was revealed Hayley had grown frustrated that her husband had not died and became part of a plot with her lover, Mr Pollard, to work out ways to kill Mr Weatherall.

The judge said Hayley knew of the plan and agreed to it. As she sat at her husband’s hospital bedside, she sent a text to her lover saying: “They didn’t do a very good job; he’s still alive.”

As well as the shooting, there were efforts to poison him, burn him in an explosion and drown him while out fishing, said the prosecution.

The trio were jailed for a total of 47 years, with Judge Adele Williams describing the plot as an example of "cold, calculated and chilling cruelty".

Yet in an interview with the Sun after they were jailed, Ray said: “I love Hayley, I always have and always will.”

Mr Weatherall also shrugged off the attempts to kill him, saying he has "managed to survive a lot".

He said: "I feel like a cat with nine lives. I’ve probably only got one or two left, the way things have been going. I can still laugh. I ain’t lost my sense of humour.”

The shooting happened at the marina on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, when Mr Weatherall was working at a boatyard by the River Stour with his son Sam and daughter Jade, cutting branches from a tree.

He recalled: "We were having a break, and I was rolling myself a fag.

"Suddenly, there was an almighty crack, and blood started pouring out of my nostrils like a tap.”

Mr Weatherall was standing by the riverbank when he was hit. The bullet entered his right cheek between his temple and jaw. Despite the injury, he remained conscious.

Jade made a 999 call at 2.02pm. Paramedics arrived 25 minutes later, and he was taken to hospital. Because of Mr Weatherall’s brain tumour, the bullet fragments have not been removed.

A pathologist concluded that if there had been a minor deviation of the bullet, it could have proved fatal.

Glenn Pollard, who was 49 when he was jailed, and Heather Pollard, who was 20, both of Church Lane, West Stourmouth, near Canterbury, and Hayley, of Molland Lee, Ash, all denied conspiracy to murder.

Glenn is currently serving a minimum of 17 years, while Hayley and Heather are spending at least 15 years inside for plotting to kill Ray.