On 7 May 2009, Judge Muga Apondi, sitting as a single judge and not bound by the lay assessors' verdict, acquitted Cholmondeley of murder but found him guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
ˌɔn sˈɛvən mˈeɪ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd nˈaɪn, dʒˈʌdʒ mˈuːɡə ɐpˈɑːndi, sˈɪɾɪŋ æz ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl dʒˈʌdʒ ænd nˌɑːt bˈaʊnd baɪ ðə lˈeɪ ɐsˈɛsɚz vˈɜːdɪkt, ɐkwˈɪɾᵻd kˈoʊməndˌɛli ʌv mˈɜːdɚ bˌʌt fˈaʊnd hˌɪm ɡˈɪlti ʌvðə lˈɛsɚɹ əfˈɛns ʌv mˈænslɔːɾɚ.