Man arrested in East Sussex farm murder inquiry bailed

Police believe Julian Gardner was killed during a burglary that went wrong

A man held on suspicion of murdering a businessman in a botched robbery has been released on bail, police said.

Julian Gardner, 53, suffered multiple injuries after apparently disturbing people forcing their way into outbuildings at his East Sussex farm.

One theory is that he was crushed between two vehicles at the site in Robertsbridge where he ran a business repairing agricultural machinery.

A 40-year-old man from Ashford, Kent, has been bailed until 25 November.

He was arrested in the town early on Saturday over the death, which police say happened between 2300 BST on 10 October and 0200 BST the next day.

Compression injuries

Mr Gardner's body was discovered by his business partner near outbuildings at Bush Barn Farm on Monday. He had suffered several fractures and compression injuries.

Two burnt-out vehicles found abandoned a few miles away are being examined.

A Land Rover Defender, which belonged to Mr Gardner, was found at Cripps Corner, and a Jeep Cherokee was discovered near a pond in Sandhurst, Kent.

Mr Gardner's 90-year-old widowed mother, Molly, was asleep in the main farmhouse when he was killed.