Devizes solicitor Jim Ward had spoken of his concern over threats to himself and his family from builder Michael Chudley just weeks before he was shot in his office, Salisbury Crown Court heard yesterday.

Nicola Grosvenor, a partner in the firm of MGW Law in St John’s Street, Devizes, told judge Mr Justice Bean and a jury that Mr Ward spoke to her.

She said: “He told me that Michael Chudley had said, unpleasantly, I know where you live and I know you have children.”

The grudge held by Chudley against Mr Ward, who lived with his family in Bratton, near Trowbridge, arose from Mr Ward’s successful defence of Christopher Sear, a householder from Esher, Surrey, who was being sued by Chudley for the non-payment of £98,000 in building costs.

Mr Ward successfully launched a counter-claim against Chudley. MGW Law’s bill was more than £250,000, which Chudley would be expected to pay. Ms Grosvenor told the court that the paperwork from the case covered an eight-foot wide wall from floor to ceiling.

Ms Grosvenor was not in the office on the afternoon that Mr Ward was shot but she went through Mr Ward’s correspondence from Chudley, which contained threatening language. She passed the letters to the police.

She confirmed that a report in advance of a “quantum” hearing, that was going to fix the amount of costs Chudley was to pay, had been received by MGW Law on June 30 last year, two days before Mr Ward was shot. She said she expected it would have been received by all parties in the case.

Chudley, 63, formerly of Rowde, denies murder but admits manslaughter on grounds of deminished responsibility.

The trial continues.