A millionaire former fashion chain executive who was arrested on suspicion of murder after defending himself from an intruder has been told that he will face no further action.
Richard Glanville, 60, the ex-chief financial officer for Oasis, Warehouse and Coast was allegedly confronted at his £2million home by a near neighbour armed with a baseball bat.
Deliver driver Rici Gallagher, 46, suffered head injuries in the confrontation at 9.20am on July 30 last year.
He was airlifted to hospital in an East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter, crewed by Prince William, but died a week later.
Mr Gallagher's home in a wooden shack in woodland around half a mile from Mr Glanville's luxury farmhouse was destroyed in a fire just minutes before the incident.
It is believed that Mr Gallagher dialled 999 to report the blaze before he went to Mr Glanville's home on a secluded track in Little Burstead near Billericay, Essex.
Mr Glanville and another 54-year-old man, believed to have been his gardener, were initially arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder before being quizzed and released on police bail.
The pair were re-arrested on January 26 on suspicion of murder and bailed again until May 11 pending further inquiries.
An Essex Police spokesman confirmed yesterday that the two men would not face any charges.
It is believed that a police investigation established that they had acted in self defence.
The police spokesman said: "Two men arrested on suspicion of the murder of a man in Little Burstead in July 2015 have been released from their bail and will face no further action.
"The 54-year-old man from Basildon and 60-year-old man from the Billericay area were due to answer bail on May 11 but have had it cancelled in advance due to insufficient evidence. An inquest will be held in due course."
At the opening of Mr Gallagher's inquest, coroner Eleanor McGann said he "appeared to have broken into" Mr Glanville's home.
She said that an "altercation broke out" during which Mr Gallagher "was struck on the head and fell to the floor with a traumatic head injury". A full inquest is due to take place at a later date.
Margaret Bryan, 66, who lives nearby said it appeared that Mr Glanville and his gardener had tried to remove Mr Gallagher after he broke into the former farmhouse.
She said: "I was here at the time and the whole stretch of road was filled with police and fire engines.
"I heard that Ricci had gone into the house with a baseball bat and started smashing the place up. He was being aggressive and they must have tried to stop him.
"I think the other man was the gardener as he is round there almost all the time. She added: "Everyone has the right to protect their home from intruders. If you can't do that, what can you do? It's very rural round here and someone breaking into your home must be terrifying."
Mr Gallagher is believed to have moved to his shack, which had no electricity, only a week before the fire and is thought to have had plans to demolish it and build a new house on the three acre site.
The wooden bungalow and its surrounding land had previously been advertised for sale for £400,000 as a potential development site. Three crews of 15 firefighters spent 90 minutes tackling the blaze.
Mrs Bryan said it was "a complete mystery" how the fire had started in Mr Gallagher's home and if it was connected with the confrontation between the men.
She added 'If he thought that his neighbour had set fire to it and he went down to the house to get revenge, then I think he was probably mistaken."
Mr Gallagher who previously lived in Benfleet, Essex, with his wife Linda, 58, who worked for the Royal Mail. He is believed to have moved in to his rundown home just a week before the fire.
His widow Linda paid tribute to him following his death, describing him as a "very kind considerate person with a great zest for life and was liked by all who met him".
His most recent role was as chief financial officer at Aurora Fashions Ltd, a fashion firm which owns, develops and manages the performance of some of the UK's most respected women's fashion brands, including Karen Millen, Coast, Warehouse and Oasis.
In his first year, he helped the company transform its then ailing fortunes, overseeing strong growth abroad and online.
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