The events that led to Michael Chudley shooting Jim Ward at close range with a sawn-off shotgun in his office originated when Chudley’s firm Kingfisher Builders winning a contract to extend an executive home in the stockbroker belt town of Esher in Surrey.

Chudley had been concentrating his efforts in getting work in Surrey because, as he put in court, “that’s where the money was”. He saw Christopher Sear’s planning application to treble the size of the property at 24 Lammas Road, Esher, and canvassed for the work.

He invited Mr Sear to Kingfisher House where Francine Whale, without revealing her true status as housemate and sometime business associate of Chudley, showed him the work that Kingfisher Builders had carried out.

On the basis of that, Mr Sear gave Chudley’s company the contract, at that time worth £215,000.

Almost immediately problems emerged with the discovery that three of the walls of the house were made of “clay pots”, hollow brick-like ceramic tiles which would not be strong enough to support the extension.

Mr Sear agreed the extra estimated cost of £40,000 to demolish and rebuild the walls. While the work was going on, Chudley suffered a heart attack and Michael Keeling took over the project.

But relations between Chudley and his client deteriorated and Chudley walked off the site in December of 2009, never to return.

Chudley subsequently sued Mr Sear for £90,000 he insisted he was owed.

Michael Keeling, who had taken over the project, suggested Mr Sear approach Jim Ward to represent him in the case and the die was cast.

The case dragged on for three years, generating enough paperwork to fill an entire wall at MGW Law from floor to ceiling. Eventually, the case was settled in favour of Mr Sear and the costs of the case bankrupted Chudley and Mrs Whale.

The house was repossessed and Mrs Whale went to live with her daughter, Kerry Britten, and her husband Tony.

Chudley, giving evidence, last week, still insists he has not lost the case and will fight on from behind bars.

He wrote a long, rambling account of his ordeal at the hands of “the authorities” in a piece which was sent to two national papers and the then Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke.