Father ‘murdered at home in front of his two young children by robber who mistakenly believed he had large amount of cash’
‘To carry out such a brutal attack in front of such young children is absolutely sickening,’ says detective
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A father has been brutally killed in front of his two young children during a suspected robbery in Scotland, police said.
Christopher Nicol was stabbed to death at his flat in Maple Road in Inverclyde at around 9.05pm on 26 September.
He was killed in front of his children, who are aged five and six-years-old.
Detectives have launched a murder investigation into Mr Nicol’s death.
They believe he was attacked because a burglar mistakenly thought he had a large amount of money in the flat.
“Christopher Nicol was within his flat in Maple Road around 9.05pm on Thursday night when he was violently attacked in front of his two young children, aged five and six years,” said Detective Chief Inspector Martin Fergus.
“Both children are receiving full support from a number of partner agencies at this time.
“We believe that the motive for this was robbery and that Christopher was targeted specifically because his attacker thought there was a large sum of money in the house, which was not the case.
“For whatever the reason, to carry out such a brutal attack in front of such young children is absolutely sickening. It shows an absolute disregard for their safety or suffering. This callous killer must be caught.”
The suspect is described as white, aged between 20 and 30, around 5ft 9in, of slim build, with an unkempt, reddish, brown beard and moustache.
The man spoke with a local Greenock accent and had bad teeth, some of which were missing.
He was wearing a black beanie hat with a logo, possibly Timberland, black top and black jeans or trousers or jogging bottoms.
Police are appealing for any information the public can provide.
“Although our murder investigation is progressing, we have been disappointed by the public response to our previous appeal,” Mr Fergus said.
“I believe that the answer to this murder lies in the local community and I am in no doubt that there are people out there who have vital information on this incident, who have not yet come forward.
“I would urge them to look to their conscience and contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked contact detectives from the Major Investigation Team (West) via 101 quoting incident number 3888 of 26 September 2019 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
Additional reporting by agencies
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