Millionaire recounts the moment he was shot by burglar 'who mistook him for drug dealer'

Millionaire divisional insurance president Timothy Mardon was called to the witness box to relive the horrific ordeal he endured during the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

He was due to be at his £2million Old Rectory Home, in Sible Hedingham, for just eight hours after jetting in and out of the UK when he came across two male burglars at about 4.30am on February 6.

One was bald, white, aged in his mid to late 20s, physically fit and had an Essex accent.

The other was about 5ft 10, wiry, aged in his 20s with a brown stocking over his head and was wearing dark clothes.

He said: “I heard steps on the gravel and I also heard voices. I became concerned.

“I got out of bed and walked to the window. I peered down to see what I could and that is when I saw one of the individuals.”

The man was attempting to enter the house and trying to “jimmy” the window.

Mr Mardon continued: “I went into the bathroom and called the police.”

The operator told him the police would be a while because they were coming from Chelmsford.

About ten to fifteen minutes later he heard footsteps on his stairs.

“I heard them having conversations with each other,” he explained.

“I assume they were searching for valuables.

“I could hear them going up and down the stairs. I was extremely concerned.”

Fortunately his wife and daughters were not at home at the time.

He said: “They were going from room to room. I had locked the door to my bedroom and they discovered it was locked and they started trying to get in.

“I was still on the phone to the dispatcher, I lowered my voice to a whisper. I was concerned they would hear I was in the house.

“I heard something like ‘this door is locked, must be something in there’.

“He started kicking at the door.

“I was obviously hoping the police were going to arrive soon.”

Mr Mardon shouted “get the **** out of my house, the police are coming”.

He told the jury: “I was in front of the door.

“The individual the other side of the door became extremely aggressive and began screaming at me to let them in. I leaned against the door to try and prevent them getting in.

“Suddenly there was a loud explosion. I was thrown to the ground and the door burst open.

“The individual wearing the stocking over his head burst in the room holding a gun.”

It was a double barrelled shotgun.

He continued: “When I looked down I realised I was bleeding quite a lot. It was flowing very freely.

“The person who had entered the room started screaming at me and pointing the gun at my head and threatening me.

“I was in considerable shock. The first thing he said to me was ‘where is the weed money?’.

“I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I think I said ‘I don’t deal weed, I work for an insurance company’.

“I was lying on the ground.

“He basically said he would kill me if I did not tell him where the weed money was.

“He was asking where the safe was.

“I knew the safe was empty.

“I feared if I told him where it was and it was empty he would kill me.

“He was counting down from ten.

“I was panicking to offer him something that would placate him just to stop him shooting me.

“I pointed out my wallet was on the side which had several hundred pounds in and there was a valuable watch by my bed.

“He threatened to kill me and threatened to return to kill my family.

“I was obviously desperate to placate him so I offered there were several valuable cars in the garage worth £70,000 he could take.

“On the second occasion he threatened to kill me I said ‘I am dying already’’.

His phone call to police was still active after he fell on his phone after getting shot.

The men resumed the search of the house.

Mr Mardon told the jury: “Increasingly the shock had turned into very severe pain.

“I used the belt of my dressing gown as a tourniquet.”

He said it took “a very very long time before the police arrived” and he was worried he would bleed to death.

Charlie Simms is on trial for attempted murder.

Simms, Kalebh Shreeve and Christoper Bergin are charged with aggravated burglary, wounding with intent, possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

All three deny all the charges.

A jury of seven men and five women have been tasked with reaching a verdict on Simms 23, of North Road, Great Yeldham, Shreeve, 24, of Gibson Road, Sible Hedingham and Bergin, 27, of Hawkwood Road, Halstead at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The trial is expected to last four weeks and continues.