Guy Hedger was shot dead during a burglary

Jamie Evans, of Headswell Avenue, pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving stolen goods - including rings, a sapphire and diamond bracelet and a gold necklace - at Salisbury Crown Court this week.

The charges span a period between April 29 and September 1 last year.

The 38-year-old had previously admitted possessing an offensive weapon, namely an extendable baton, in a public place on August 31 2017.

He will return to the court to be sentenced in June.

Jewellery and other high-value items worth a total of £124,000 were stolen during a botched burglary at Mr Hedger's home. Many of the stolen goods have not yet been recovered by police.

The 61-year-old was killed with a sawn-off shotgun when intruders Jason Baccus, 42 and of Verney Close in Bournemouth and Kevin Downton, 40, of Winterborne Stickland near Blandford, broke into his home in Castlewood, St Ives, at around 3am on April 30 2017.

Both Baccus and Downton were convicted of murder, aggravated burglary, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and burglary following a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

They were sentenced to life in prison in January. The defendants will serve at least 34 years before they can be considered for release.

A third defendant, Scott Keeping, 44, also of Verney Close, was found not guilty of murder, aggravated burglary with a firearm, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and burglary.

His wife, Helen Keeping, 40, was also cleared of two counts of assisting an offender.

Mr Hedger and husband Simon Hedger-Cooper had been in bed at around 2.45am on the morning of the murder when their dog started barking.

Mr Hedger went to investigate. He returned moments later with two masked men behind him.

The two victims were then told: “This is a burglary.

“We’ll shoot you if you don’t do what we say."

Baccus and Downton then discovered two safes in a dressing room. Mr Hedger got up to assist the burglars with the codes, but suddenly froze.

Mr Hedger-Cooper, who had risen to help, was moving towards the dressing room when he decided to press an alarm button on the bedroom wall, believing both he and his husband would be shot anyway.

The alarm began sounding and the lights flashing when Mr Hedger-Cooper heard a “big boom” and turned to see Mr Hedger had been gunned down.

Mr Hedger, the brand and marketing director of insurance firm Liverpool Victoria, went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5am.

He had suffered a number of pellet wounds, as well as one large injury to the left side of his chest.

Mr Hedger-Cooper later paid tribute to his "intelligent, creative, caring and gentle" husband in a moving victim impact statement.