Police hunt murderer after 4am killing in back court

DETECTIVES have launched a murder investigation after a man was killed in a “sustained attack” in the back court of a block of flats.

Thomas Roberts, 43, died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary after the incident in the Saracen area, in the north of the city, at around 4am on Christmas Day.

Mr Roberts was thought to have been walking a dog with another man, aged 50, who was also injured and treated in hospital.

As police sealed off streets and carried out door-to-door inquiries, patrols were stepped up to reassure residents in the area.

Mr Roberts’ daughter Brooklyn wrote on Facebook that it had been the worst thing to wake up on Christmas “to find out my dad had been found dead outside late this morning”.

She added: “All I can say is heaven has gained another angel, I love you so much dad – fly high.”

The man who was also attacked during the incident in Ashgill Road is being treated in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Govan, where medical staff said his condition was “stable.”

Detectives are appealing for information in an effort to identify who is responsible, and have been carrying out a number of inquiries in the area. These include accessing public and private CCTV and speaking to residents.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Livingstone, senior investigating officer, said: “This was a violent attack on two men in the early hours of Christmas Day, which has sadly culminated in the death of a 43-year-old man.

“I would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Ashgill Road at the time of the incident to come forward.

“This area is highly residential, and I am confident there will be people who may have heard the disturbance or who may have witnessed it that we haven’t yet spoken to.”

Urging people to speak to officers, he added: “A man has lost his life following a sustained attack, and his family and friends have been left shattered.”

He said residents would be shocked and concerned, but added: “I would like to take this opportunity to reassure them that we are working hard to identify who is responsible.”