Detectives investigating the death of a Polish man whose body was discovered in an Aberdeen flat have revealed the incident is being treated as “suspicious”.
The 49-year-old was found in temporary accommodation for the homeless at Balnagask Avenue, Torry, on Monday afternoon.
The victim, who was last seen in the area around 9am on Monday morning, is understood to have suffered stab wounds.
A resident of supported accommodation for the homeless, he is described as 5ft 10ins, was wearing dark clothes and had facial hair.
Last night, police appealed to anyone who was in Torry around that time who thinks they may have seen something out of the ordinary to come forward.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, described the victim as looking like someone who was “down on his luck”.
He said: “I used to see him going about picking up cigarette ends off the ground – I tried to speak to him, but he didn’t speak very good English. Sometimes I would offer him a cigarette.
“He seemed like someone who was down on his luck.
“Now that I know it was him who was found dead, I am quite shocked – he didn’t seem like someone who would have been caught up in anything.
“I heard that a knife had been found in bushes near the flats.”
The area around the flat where the grim discovery was made remained cordoned off yesterday.
At midday, officers wearing blue gloves and carrying wooden poles began emptying bins and inspecting drying areas.
Hayley Munro, 22, a stay-at-home mum who only recently moved to the area, said: “This is normally a very quiet street so for something like this to happen is a bit of a shock, and it’s really quite scary.”
Until yesterday, officers had described the death as unexplained.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain Smith, who is leading the investigation, would not reveal the nature of the victim’s injuries.
A post mortem was due to be carried out yesterday afternoon.
He said: “The man’s movements are of great interest to us, as are his associations. Our appeal is to the community to come forward with any information they have that they feel may be of benefit.
“If anyone is aware of any incidents at the address which they believe may be of relevance, then I would appeal to them to come forward.”
DCI Smith made a plea to any members of the Polish community who may have information to get in touch.
Inquiries are currently underway to trace and inform the victim’s next of kin.