Armed cops in torture murder swoop
Police raid property in search for killer who boasted of his sick crime
Armed police descended on a street yesterday in the hunt for a killer who brutally tortured his victim.
Alan Lawson, 36, died in hospital two days after he was discovered seriously injured at his home in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, earlier this month.
He is understood to have been held hostage and tortured at a property in Largs before being dumped back at his home.
His attacker, who later confessed to the sickening crime on social media app Snapchat, has now been on the run for more than a week.
Police swooped on Canal Street, one of the main roads connecting Stevenston to Saltcoats, yesterday afternoon. Nearby Canal View and Canal Crescent were also closed off by response teams.
Dramatic images from the scene showed armed officers surrounding a property before gaining access.
The Daily Record understands the murder suspect was believed to be inside but Police Scotland later confirmed that no arrest had been made.
One witness said: “Apparently the killer was holed up in one of the flats and there was police everywhere but they didn’t get him.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The roads were all shut.”
Another said: “Apparently the killer was in one of the flats at some point. This is the biggest police operation I’ve ever seen.
“There were so many police cars and vans as well. The dogs were out too. It went on for about 90 minutes.” We previously reported that the brazen killer is understood to have been captured on CCTV roaming the streets, while police continue their hunt for him.
Locals in Saltcoats and Largs have been left terrified by the murder after the suspect shared horrifying clips on Snapchat that he claimed showed Alan’s severely wounded body on the floor of a bloodsplattered room.
He also posted a selfie of himself, with his naked torso smeared in blood.
One local said: “He strolled down Glasgow Street on Friday and there could have been people just walking straight past him with no idea of who he is. It’s terrifying.”
Another added: “He was seen just walking straight down the street. He got caught on camera – as bold as brass. No mask, nothing. He doesn’t care.
“From my understanding, he has been bouncing around houses to evade police. He also has a lot of dodgy friends who are probably more than happy to harbour him.”
A police spokesperson said their large presence in Saltcoats yesterday “relates to the ongoing investigation into the murder of Alan Lawson”.
But the spokesperson later added that no arrests had been made and their enquiries into Alan’s death remain ongoing.