Burglary gang shot dead naked man after his husband pressed panic alarm, court told

MASKED burglars, armed with guns and two champagne bottles to use as weapons, murdered a businessman in his home after his husband pressed a panic alarm, a court has heard.

Guy Hedger, 61, died from shotgun wounds after Simon Hedger-cooper sounded a panic alarm, which set off flashing lights and alerts. Intruders had broken into the property at 3am on April 30 in Castlewood, near Ringwood, Hants, and told them: “We will shoot you if you don’t do what we say”, Winchester Crown Court was told.

Nigel Lickley QC, prosecuting, told the jury the assailants demanded the couple, who were naked, open a safe. When Mr Hedger forgot the combination, his partner “said he would open it for him and moved towards the safe. But on the wall they have a panic button and as he went past, he pressed it.

“Mr Simon Hedger-cooper said almost straight away he heard a big boom and Mr Hedger saying ‘I have been hit, help, I’ve been shot’.” The court heard that Mr Hedger-cooper told police he remembered the intruder who was not holding the gun was carrying two champagne bottles. These were taken from a wine rack in the garage and were allegedly being held as weapons.

Jason Baccus, 42, Scott Keeping, 44, both from Bournemouth, and Kevin Downton, 40, of Winterborne Stickland, Dorset, are charged with murder.

After shooting Mr Hedger with a sawn-off shotgun, the intruders made off with £120,000 of valuables.

Mr Lickley added: “This was no random unplanned event. It was carefully planned and they were not going to be stopped – hence the loaded gun.” Items taken were allegedly later discovered near the house Mr Keeping shared with his wife, Helen, and where Mr Baccus was staying. The men deny murder, aggravated burglary and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. Helen Keeping, 40, from Poole, denies two charges of assisting an offender. The trial continues.