Father killed on his doorstep in suspected road rage attack
A FATHER has been battered to death on his doorstep in a suspected road rage attack.
Stephen Walsh, 37, was assaulted at his home after being involved in a minor road collision, in which he failed to stop at the scene of an accident.
Detectives believe Mr Walsh’s Lexus was involved in a collision with a vehicle in Nottingham on Sunday, but rather than stop, he returned home less than a mile away.
It is thought his attacker may have followed him before confronting him.
During the alleged altercation, Mr Walsh was attacked by the other motorist, who angrily told him he would return the next day to exchange insurance details.
But Mr Walsh, believed to be a father of two, was found dead early the next morning having suffered head injuries.
Nottinghamshire Police last night appealed for the suspect to come forward, saying they did not believe that they meant to kill Mr Walsh.
Det Chief Insp Hayley Williams said it appeared the assault had been a “spontaneous incident” following the crash. She said: “I want to appeal directly to the driver. A man has died and his children and family deserve to know what happened.
“This will not go away. I appreciate you may be scared. I don’t think you planned this and I want to hear your side of the story.
“I have officers waiting to speak to you now and it would be much better if you come forward, because if you don’t, we will find you.
“I believe you have disclosed the crash, and possibly the assault to others, possibly your girlfriend and mother. Please don’t create difficulties for them by expecting them to cover up for you.
“I promise my officers will treat you fairly. By all means contact a solicitor.”
Neighbours of Mr Walsh expressed their shock at the incident and said he had only been living in the house for a matter of weeks, having moved in with his partner and children.
One said: “Its so tragic that this has happened and really shocking for this to happen around here. Most people are working professionals and we never get any trouble here.”
Det Chief Insp Williams, of the East Midlands special operations unit, also appealed for witnesses. Detectives said they were looking for a silver Vauxhall Astra van that may have been involved in a collision with Mr Walsh’s Lexus car before he was attacked.