Expat aristocrat guilty of killing black poacher

An aristocrat from one of Kenya's most prominent white families is facing life behind bars after he was found guilty of shooting dead a black poacher he found on his land. 

Thomas Cholmondeley (pictured), the 40-year-old son and heir to the fifth Baron Delamere was charged with manslaughter at Nairobi High Court after the judge ruled that he had not shown any malice or intent when he shot 37-year-old Robert Njoya in May 2006.

The Eton-educated heir, whose ranch is one of the largest in the country still owned by a white family, remained impassive when the verdict was read out by Mr Justice Muga Apondi. "I find that there is no evidence that the accused acted with malice aforethought... It is clear, however, that the accused was the person who fired the bullet which then caused the death of the late Njoya. I therefore reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter."

But the news came as a shock for Cholmondeley's family who were hoping for a more favourable verdict. His girlfriend, Sally Dudmesh, a jewellery designer, cried in court and was comforted by her friend, Saba Douglas-Hamilton, the BBC Big Cat Diary presenter. His mother, Lady Ann Delamere told The Daily Telegraph: "It really was a dreadful surprise, we really hoped to have him home soon. We have to hope that the judge will look nicely upon us and give Tom a light sentence, hopefully of course the time he has already been locked up. That way at least we can have him home finally."

Mr Cholmondeley had come across Mr Njoya, who was carrying a slaughtered gazelle, and two friends with their hunting dogs while showing a friend the Delamere family ranch on May 10. When Cholmondeley challenged the men, they are said to have set their dogs on him, prompting him to fire towards them and wounding Njoya in the buttock. The ranch owner gave the father-of-four first aid, called for a car to take him to hospital and opted to cover all medical costs but he died en route.

This is not the first time the 40-year-old has been in trouble with the law. In 2005 he was arrested and charged with murder after shooting another black man caught trespassing on his land. The victim was later revealed to be an undercover wildlife ranger investigating the illegal bushmeat trade, but the case collapsed, angering ordinary Kenyans who felt that Cholmondeley's high-ranking status had saved him from prosecution. ·