An Eltham man has been jailed for life for shooting a homeless man with a sawn-off shotgun.

Richard Donovan, 26, of Westhorne Avenue, was convicted of the murder of 59-year-old Philip Fox yesterday at Maidstone Crown Court.

On April 25 this year the skeletal remains of Mr Fox were found in a tent on wasteland in Wincheap, Canterbury.

His body had been undiscovered for 10 months and he was murdered on or around August 4 last year.

Following media reports of the death a woman told police he believed Donovan had killed the homeless man with a sawn-off shotgun.

The court heard Donovan owned a sawn-off shotgun, which witnesses said he carried around unassembled in three parts in a drawstring bag.

Mr Fox had been followed and approached by Donovan who, under the influence of alcohol, had become paranoid that the victim had seen him with the shotgun near to the wasteland in Wincheap.

Donovan sat down with Mr Fox by the tent, gave him a beer and engaged him in conversation before murdering him.

The woman was walking over to meet Donovan when she heard a loud bang and saw him running away from the tent.

He told her he had shot the homeless man and then threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone. He later sold the gun. It wasn’t until the woman saw the media reports that she realised what Donovan had done.

A post-mortem examination on May 10 confirmed Mr Fox had died from shotgun injuries to his lower body and Donovan was arrested the following day.

The pellets in Mr Fox’s body matched the ones found lodged in a garden shed in Wincheap which Donovan had fired at when he was staying at the property, the day before Mr Fox’s death.

A firearms expert confirmed the type of pellets used were uncommon in the UK.

Tony Hindmarsh, 36, from Greatstone near New Romney, denied supplying Donovan with the murder weapon and was acquitted by the jury. 

Earlier in the case Hindmarsh had already admitted a charge of possession of prohibited ammunition and today (December 8) he was sentenced to one year in prison. 

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Tony Pledger of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: "Donovan is a dangerous individual who, fuelled by drink, shot an unarmed homeless man.

"There can be no reasonable explanation for his dreadful actions and the unimaginable loss he has caused. 

"Officers were determined to piece together what happened and bring the case before the courts, and I would like to thank the media, for their coverage of the investigation, and the members of the public, who came forward with invaluable information.

"My sympathies are with the friends and family of Mr Fox and I hope today’s verdict has brought them some reassurance."