Killer tycoon Nicholas Hoogstraten has won a High Court ruling that a prison governor unlawfully prevented him from seeing his chosen lawyer.

Hoogstraten, 57, was blocked from seeing Italian Giovanni Di Stefano in his cell at Belmarsh because the governor believed he was discussing plans to export fighter planes to Zimbabwe, the High Court was told.

Today Mr Justice Jackson said Hoogstraten's human rights had been violated by the ban.

He said the multi-millionaire landlord, of High Cross Estate, Framfield, near Uckfield, had every right to choose his own lawyer in advance of his sentencing for the manslaughter of former business associate Mohammed Raja.

Mr Raja, 63, was shot and stabbed to death by two hired hitmen.

Today's ruling means the governor must allow Mr Di Stefano to visit Hoogstraten unless he can put forward "substantial grounds related to his character".

The judge said: "No such basis has yet been put forward."

In July, a jury found Hoogstraten guilty of manslaughter for sending two men to see Mr Raja in July 1999.

They decided he had not meant the pair to kill or seriously injure Mr Raja.

Robert Knapp, 53, of Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, and David Croke, 60, of Bolney Road, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, were both found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Hoogstraten has now dispensed with his trial lawyers and wants Mr Di Stefano to advise him prior to the sentencing hearing next month.