KILLER ON THE RUN
Murder probe cops hunt throat slash thug jailed as a teenager for slaying stranger
AN “ARMED and dangerous” Scots killer is on the run following a grandfather’s murder.
Police have warned the public not to approach Andrew McVicar.
He is wanted over the murder of 57-year-old Timothy Smith in a gunpoint robbery a week ago.
Detective Inspector Daniel Stoten said: “I need to speak to McVicar in connection with this incident and urge him to come forward before we catch up with him.
“He’s a dangerous individual and should not be approached.”
McVicar, 33, was given a life sentence after he slashed 20-year-old roofer Tony Harrington’s throat with a broken bottle at a Christmas party when he was just 15.
He has since been released and is now a suspect in Timothy’s murder.
The grandad suffered a brain injury when he was confronted by two men wearing balaclavas who demanded cash as he walked to a friend’s home.
The thugs pushed Timothy over and he hit his head on a low wall as he fell to the ground.
The victim was knocked unconscious, but the raiders callously forced the rest of the group – including Timothy’s wife Lesley – into the house where they stole cash.
Timothy, who ran a joinery business, was taken to hospital following the robbery in Hullbridge, Essex, but died on Tuesday.
His family have decided to donate his organs to help save the lives of others. Daughter Natalie Smith, 27, thanked friends, family and well-wishers for their support.
She wrote on Facebook: “Thank you for your kind words. My family just need as much information as possible even if they think it’s not much, it all adds up.”
Timothy’s niece Kelly Nicholls repeated the plea for information and wrote: “Please, please share and find these scum who did this to my uncle. My family are absolutely devastated.”
McVicar, who lives in Basildon, Essex, is wanted on suspicion of murder, robbery and possession of a firearm.
The thug, who has “Pride” and “Honour” tattoos on his arms, is believed to have links to the Luton area in Bedfordshire and is thought to have been there as recently as Saturday.
Timothy was fatally injured after he and Lesley had spent the evening with friends in a pub.
They left at around 11pm before returning to the friends’ property, where they were confronted by the men who forced them inside.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, during which an innocent man lost his life. We are treating this as an isolated, targeted incident.”
McVicar was convicted of murder at Luton Crown Court in 1999. He glassed Tony at a party in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
In 2007, the killer tried to escape from Ford open prison in Sussex but he got stuck in mud and was recaptured.