British man dies in balcony fall

A British man has died after he fell from a balcony following an apparent robbery by car thieves at the home of his girlfriend - one of Kenya's top fashion models.

Charlie Grieves-Cook, 37, was fatally injured as he plunged several storeys from Diana Sifuna's apartment, British expats said.

Moments earlier, the photographer had fled for the balcony as armed men stormed into the building looking for the "musungu" (white man) in a bid to steal his vehicle.

Mr Grieves-Cook is understood to have attempted to hide from the intruders by climbing over the balcony and clinging on to its railings. Unable to find him, the men left the building.

But before Mr Grieves-Cook could clamber back inside, he lost his grip and plummeted to the ground.

Miss Sifuna, 24, is believed to have taken him to a local hospital, close to her home in South C, a district in Nairobi's western suburb of Langata which is known for its high crime levels.

Britons living in Kenya said Mr Grieves-Cook was well-known in the close-knit community and described as a "really nice guy".

One expat, who asked not to be named, said: "Before they got up to her flat, the two of them, who were inside, panicked and he decided that he would hide by climbing over the balcony so they couldn't find him. They came storming through the house - apparently what they were trying to do was steal his car."

Mr Grieves-Cook, reportedly a former chef at several of London's Michelin-starred restaurants, was taken to the local hospital by his distressed girlfriend.

But medics apparently refused to treat him because the couple had no money on them with which to pay for the care. Another Briton said: "They literally ran out of time and he died of his injuries."