Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Millionaire shot for his designer watches
Murder cops’ theory
A MAN killed in front of his partner in an armed raid on their home was targeted for his jewellery and designer watches, police believe.
Guy Hedger, 61, was blasted with a shotgun after at least two robbers, wearing balaclavas, burst into his £1million home in the early hours of yesterday. He died later in hospital. Police said his husband Simon-pierre Hedger-cooper, 48, witnessed the attack in St Ives, Dorset, and had been left “highly traumatised”. Det Supt Kevin Connolly said: “This was a despicable crime, a targeted attack on the victim in his own home. These men were ruthless.” He said the robbers had “gone prepared to be confronted, wearing balaclavas and armed with a shotgun”. He said: “Jewellery was stolen, which includes designer watches, and they fled.” Yesterday forensics officers and police dogs were searching the neighbourhood for clues. The couple moved to Dorset from Brighton five years ago. Mr Hedger was a marketing director at Avonbourne International Business and Enterprise Trust, which runs colleges and a primary school. He had previously worked for insurance giant LV=, and was responsible for the company’s distinctive green heart logo. A spokesman for LV= said “An extremely talented marketer, Guy was instrumental in building the LV= brand and will be sorely missed.” Angela Simpson, 72, who volunteered with Mr Hedger-cooper at a church in Brighton, said: “It’s so shocking, Simon will be absolutely devastated by this. “Simon is such a nice man, they both are, and they are totally devoted to each other. “I really don’t know how he is going to cope.”