St John’s Wood business tycoon shoots neighbour’s burglar alarm

�175million-man climbed the fence and fired his shotgun to stop his neighbour’s ‘annoying’ burglar alarm

ONE of Britain’s richest men pleaded guilty on Monday to firing a shotgun to disable his St John’s Wood neighbour’s burglar alarm.

Peter Shalson, 53, of Hamilton Terrace, was filmed on security cameras climbing over an iron fence and smashing a glass back door before shooting the burglar alarm control box inside the next-door house.

Shalson, who is said to be worth around �175million, dramatically changed his plea just a week before he was due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to commit criminal damage, and causing criminal damage to a door, lamp, window and burglar alarm during the incident on January 3, 2010.

He maintained his not guilty plea to burglary, with intent to cause criminal damage, and this charge will lie on the file.

First-time offender Shalson was bailed until March 28 for sentencing on condition he does not contact his next-door neighbours.

Shalson’s �10million house is currently up for sale and his lawyer said he “may not be there very long”.

The court heard how other residents rang police after hearing shots and the owners of the house - a family of five - returned from a country break to find the back door smashed, the alarm in pieces and an empty gun cartridge on the floor.

Shalson, who is a keen game shooter and regularly shoots at a hunting lodge in Devon, was questioned by police ten days later and charged.

He had always maintained his innocence until Monday’s court hearing.

Shalson made his fortune from his coat-hanger company Braitrim, which he transformed into a packaging business and then sold for �109million.