Man stabbed to death in front of his children in Greenock flat Published duration 1 October 2019

image copyright Police Scotland image caption Christopher Nicol was found in the flat after reports of a disturbance

A man who was murdered in a Greenock flat was "violently" stabbed in front of his children, police have said.

Christopher Nicol, 27, was attacked inside the property on Maple Road at about 21:05 on Thursday.

Officers believe the killer had wrongly thought there was a large sum of cash in the flat, and had intended to rob Mr Nicol.

Police said the victim's children, who are aged five and six, were receiving professional support.

Officers have launched a murder inquiry, and believe the killer knew Mr Nicol.

He entered the property after barging past Mr Nicol's girlfriend when she answered the door.

The attacker has been described as being white, aged 20-30, about 5ft 9in tall, with a slim build. He had a local accent, and an unkempt, reddish, brown beard and moustache. Officers say he also had bad teeth, with some visibly missing.

He was wearing a black beanie hat with a logo, possibly Timberland, a black top and black jeans or bottoms.

Det Ch Insp Martin Fergus described the killing as "absolutely sickening".

"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.

Det Ch Insp Fergus said a public appeal for witnesses and information had been "disappointing".

"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," he said.

"I would urge them to look to their conscience and contact us. I would like to hear from local people in Greenock to give us details of anyone they know who was out and about in the Maple Road area on Thursday evening.

"The man responsible has quite a distinctive description, so if you have any idea of his identity, then please contact us as soon as possible."

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Police Scotland via their non-emergency line.

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