Alexander Monson's Kenyan inquest hears he died 'violently'

Alexander Monson, who died in 2012, was heir to his family's Burton estate in Lincolnshire

A Kenyan inquest into the death of a British Lord's son three years ago has heard from his mother who said he died "violently" at the hands of police.

Alexander Monson, 28, died while he was in police custody in Diani, Mombasa.

Kenyan Police have denied any involvement and said he died of a drugs overdose while Mr Monson's family argue he died from a head injury.

Giving evidence in Mombasa, Hilary Monson said her son's death came as a "great shock".

Alexander Monson was the son of Nicholas, the 12th Baron Monson and had moved to Kenya to live with his mother in 2008.

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned in February to give the family more time to study police statements.

Mrs Monson told the hearing she received a call on 19 May, 2012, to say her son had been arrested after a night out with friends on suspicion of smoking bhang, a form of cannabis.

She was later told her son had been found on the floor of the police station convulsing.

Mrs Monson said she visited her son in hospital where he was chained to a bed.

"He was having very great difficulty breathing," she said.

Hilary Monson told the hearing her son was polite and "would never have been aggressive"

"I sat with him and in about an hour he was dead."

Hilary told the Mombasa Law Courts that hospital workers found multiple injuries on his head and scrotum.

She said: "My son was a gentleman. He was polite and would never have been aggressive.

"He was a loving person and it was a great shock to discover that he had died violently, which is a very difficult thing for a mother to cope with."

Mrs Monson admitted Alexander had drug problems in England but that he had started getting his life together.

An independent pathologist hired by the family found Mr Monson died from a fatal blow to the back of his head.

Toxicology reports also showed he had no drugs in his system at the time of his death.

Lord Nicholas Monson has previously said he believes senior police figures are responsible for his son's death, but claims they are being protected by political allies.

The inquest continues.