British aristocrat died while chained to Kenyan hospital bed, inquest told

Alexander's mother, Hilary Monson

 

NAIROBI: The mother of British aristocrat Alexander Monson, who died at the hands of police in Diani, Kwale County, on May 19, 2012, wept yesterday as she told a court that her son died while chained to a hospital bed.

Alexander's father Nicholas Monson has spearheaded a relentless campaign to find his son's killers, which has resulted in an inquest that began in Mombasa yesterday.

Mr Monson has in the past claimed that his son died after being subjected to violence or some kind of medical negligence.

Alexander's mother, Hilary Monson told Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo that her son's death shocked her after she discovered he had been assaulted by unknown people, whom she described as monsters.

His father, who arrived in Kenya on Sunday, sat quietly in court listening to his ex-wife's testimony as she recounted the chain of events from the time Alexander was arrested outside a night club to the day he died in hospital after spending several hours in a police cell.

"It was a great shock to discover that he had been assaulted. He had wounds on his scrotum. He had head injuries and died violently at the hands of monsters," she said.

Ms Monson narrated how she travelled to Mombasa from Nairobi after receiving the news that her son had been arrested.

"When I arrived in Diani at about 3.30pm, I went straight to Palm Beach Hospital. I found three police officers at the door and when I entered the room, I found my son chained to the bed. I sat with him and in less than an hour, he died," she said.