AN ALLEGED member of a gang of thieves who shot dead a businessman in his own home during a botched burglary told a prison officer he had taken part to "fund his drug habit", a court has heard.

Guy Hedger, 61, was killed after intruders entered his £1 million home in Castlewood, Ashley, near Ringwood, Hampshire, on April 30.

Jason Baccus, 42, and Scott Keeping, 44, both of Verney Close, Bournemouth, along with Kevin Downton, 40, of Winterborne Stickland, near Blandford, all deny murder.

Prosecuting Nigel Lickley QC told the trial at Winchester Crown Court today (Thursday) that after Keeping was arrested and detained in Winchester prison, he told a prisoner officer that he had joined in the raid to pay for his drug habit.

"Scott Keeping started to talk to him about what had happened. He told the officer he had only gone along for the valuables to fund his drug habit.

"He said he was in prison because he had been linked to his black Ford Focus and said Downton was the shooter."

The court heard that Keeping, who sat in a car outside the property during the raid, also told a fellow prisoner about the raid.

"He said it was an aggravated burglary that turned into a shooting. That there was supposed to be £200,000 and jewellery in the safe.”

Mr Lickley said the shotgun was taken from someone's house and had been returned and they burned their clothes afterwards.

He added that on July 14, Keeping also phoned his mother while police were at her home.

"She told him police were there, he was happy to carry on talking and said 'If you want me to, I will tell you everything'."

Mr Lickley said Keeping said that what he had said in prison had been bravado but the prosecutor suggested this was "just an excuse".

The jury head that Keeping told police during interviews that he had not been involved in the raid or the murder and said that during that night "he did what he did every night, get steaming drunk and go to bed with his wife”, but that he had been prescribed methadone and could not remember if he had been with Baccus that day.

He said Keeping also said he was "not afraid" of Baccus, who had been living at his home, and added: "Police will have to do their work as he wasn't a grass."

Mr Lickley said Baccus only replied "no comment" during his police interviews and Downton said he had no connection with the burglary and had only been arrested because he knew Baccus.

Downton said he had taken cocaine that night and stayed at a friend's house and he told police the drug "had been ruining his life and he wished he could stop”.

Mr Lickley added all three male defendants were accused of murder because the prosecution case was that the raid was a "joint enterprise" by the three men with a "common purpose".

Helen Keeping, 40, from Poole, denies two charges of assisting an offender relating to Baccus by allegedly disposing of stolen property and fellow defendant Keeping by allegedly providing him with a false alibi and disposing of stolen property.

Mrs Keeping denied to police any involvement in the burglary and said she was with her husband during the night.

Mr Lickley said she told police: "We are always together, we never leave each other's side. We were at home and never went out, we had some beers and few lines of gear - drugs - we went to bed and woke up on Sunday in bed."

Referring to her husband, she added: "I swear by the bible he was with me all night. The police can't stitch Scott up for that, no way."

She said she thought Baccus had left their home during the night and saw him arriving back at 9am on the Sunday.

The court heard that she said she believed Baccus had been responsible for stolen jewellery found hidden in their chimney breast and she told police: "Obviously he had chavved them from somewhere."

She said Baccus told her he "just did a few houses and burgled a couple of faggots" and that Downton had been the one who had fired the gun.

Mr Lickley said parts of a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun were found in the River Stour near Stamford School, Dorset, on August 27.

He said cartridges also found by police matched the ones used in the shooting.

A Jiffy bag marked "police", containing six rings, watches and a Pandora bracelet taken from Mr Hedger's home, was found in a Bournemouth postbox on July 26, Mr Lickley said.

He added that other items of jewellery and watches were found in a bag discarded in nearby countryside.

Mr Lickley said a search of Downton's Vauxhall Astra found a number of items in a hidden space including a snood which had gunshot residue on it as well as a mobile phone and SIM card linked to the raid.

The three male defendants also pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated burglary and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

Baccus and Downton admit one charge of burglary of industrial premises in Verwood on the same day as the Castlewood incident, but deny another offence of burglary in the same area.

The trial continues.