‘Chilling execution’ by failed developer who blamed lawyer

Michael Chudley, 63, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years for murdering James Ward, 58, whom he blamed for the collapse of his business, the break-up of his relationship and the repossession of his £1m home.

Failed property developer Chudley became embroiled in a legal dispute with Christopher Sear over building at Mr Sear’s home in Esher, Surrey.

Mr Ward, who was representing Mr Sear, won the civil case and Chudley was left facing legal bills of more than £250,000.

Chudley calmly walked into his law firm in Devizes, Wiltshire, on July 2 last year and threatened to shoot office worker Daphne Courtney unless she took him to her boss.

As she did so, Mr Ward’s wife Nicola Morris, a partner in the law firm, ran to a neighbouring shop to raise the alarm.

Chudley walked upstairs to Mr Ward’s office and shot him once in the head at close range with a sawn-off shotgun as he spoke to a client on the telephone. The blast was heard by Ms Morris outside and she watched as Chudley left and drove away.

He was arrested 30 minutes later by armed police at his former home in Rowde and confessed: “I shot him because he made our lives a misery.”

Father of three Mr Ward suffered head injuries and died almost three weeks later.

Chudley, of no fixed address, had denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Two psychiatrists agreed he suffers from a paranoid personality disorder but disagreed as to whether he had an abnormality of mental function.

Jurors took just two hours to find him guilty of murder unanimously.

Chudley had admitted firearms offences and threatening to kill Mrs Courtney.

The judge imposed sentences of five years’ imprisonment for the firearms offences and a seven year term for making the threat to kill. They run concurrently to the life sentence.

Ian Glen QC, defending, offered no personal mitigation. “He believes that he and his partner Francine Whale were defrauded and the civil case was a travesty and all that means that remorse is beyond his capacity.”

Passing sentence Mr Justice Bean told Chudley he had decided to take his revenge on the lawyer. “It was a chilling, calculated execution.”

The judge added: “The 28-year term is the minimum that you will serve. It may be that you will die in prison.

“But that is a possibility for which you have only yourself to blame.”