British golfer John Middleton found murdered in Mombasa

British golfer John Middleton was found brutally murdered at his Utange house in Mombasa City on the Kenyan Coast.

Kisauni Deputy County Commissioner Jamleck Mbuba on Monday confirmed that the lifeless body of Mr Middleton was discovered on Saturday morning in a bathtub with serious injuries.

“We received information that Mr Middleton was found brutally murdered inside his house. His body was discovered by a cleaner who went there in the morning to do her usual cleaning,” said Mr Mbuba.

The Kisauni DCC stated that police found a machete next to the body of the 75-year-old man, and they believe the farm tool was used to kill him.

He was living alone at the time.

“The body had serious cut wounds on the hands. There were little signs of struggle at the murder scene,” said Mr Mbuba.

According to the DCC, the cleaner contacted the deceased’s girlfriend upon discovering the body in the bathtub.

The girlfriend, who lives in Mtwapa, then arrived at the scene and reported the matter to the Kiembeni Police Station.

“The matter is still under investigation. No one has been arrested in connection to the murder, but investigations are ongoing. I cannot divulge more details at this time. We will get to the bottom of the matter and arrest the culprits,” he said.

Speaking to the Nation at his office, Mr Mbuba stated that the police were yet to establish how the perpetrators accessed the house but noted that preliminary investigations suggested that the suspects might have scaled the perimeter walls of the homestead before attacking the deceased.

“The gate was locked and intact, but the door to his house was broken. It appears the motive was to kill, as the suspects did not take anything from the house. All household items, including electronics, remain untouched. The house was not disturbed,” he said.

The DCC called on anyone with information that might assist the police with investigations to come forward, assuring that their identities would be kept confidential.

The deceased’s body has been taken to The Aga Khan Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) handles the matter.

Until his death, Mr Middleton was a member of the Nyali Golf & Country Club (NGCC) where he was popularly known as ‘Fishbone’.

NGCC Chairman Kamami Njoroge eulogised Mr Middleton as a valued friend and a great supporter of the club whose presence he said will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time. His dedication, warmth, and passion for the game will always be remembered,” he said in a message posted to the NGCC members.

Mr Njoroge added that the deceased was a cherished member of the club.

The deceased's residence is situated less than five meters from the Bamburi Location chief’s office.

On Monday, the homestead was eerily quiet, surrounded by a block-walled fence reinforced with electric wires.

A yellow vehicle was parked inside the compound, hinting at the life that once thrived there.

Residents said that police had set up camp in the area following the discovery of the body on Saturday.

“They carried the deceased’s body after spending hours inside his house,” said Mr Kalama Hassan, a neighbour who last saw the victim on Friday, October 5.

According to Mr Hassan, he encountered Middleton twice that day, once at 2pm as he left home and again at 6pm when he returned with his dogs. He had taken them to the veterinary for treatment.

“That was the last time I saw him. I was shocked to see many people and the police inside his compound on Saturday morning. I suspected something bad must have happened to him, but I did not know he had been killed,” he recounted.

Witnesses noted that Mr Middleton had lived in the area for over 15 years, maintaining a solitary lifestyle.

Catherine Njeri, another neighbour, described the deceased as a secretive individual who coexisted peacefully with those around him.

“He never even used to greet people. He was always inside his car with his dogs,” she said.

However, she expressed concern for his safety, recounting how she warned him about strangers trailing his vehicle.

“There were people on a motorbike who would follow him home, taking photos and peeping inside his vehicle,” she explained.

Ms Njeri said she had alerted Mr Middleton about the suspicious activity just a day before his murder.

“I told him that the people trailing him seemed to be attracted to something in his car, but he dismissed my concerns, saying his vehicle had an alarm that would ring if anyone tried to break in,” she recalled.

Despite her advice to install CCTV cameras and repair the electric wires around his property, she said the deceased did not take action.

“I sensed there was something wrong and notified him, but he did not take it seriously,” Ms  Njeri added.

Residents revealed that Mr Middleton had no family but was occasionally visited by different women.

While he was said to have had no significant conflicts with anyone, there was a prior attempt to break into his house.

“He had told us before that someone had attempted to break in. We advised him to report it to the police, but we don’t know if he did,” said the woman.

Adding to the mystery, it appears that Middleton’s dogs, which once provided strong security for the homestead, may have been poisoned before the attack.

“The dogs used to provide maximum security; no one would dare come near his homestead, but on that night, we did not hear them bark,” Ms Njeri noted.

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