A MAN at the centre of a mystery death probe was attacked two weeks ago, neighbours claimed today (Wed).
Police have been investigating the “unexplained” death of a 37-year-old man at a block of flats in the centre of Edinburgh since yesterday.
But the windows of the man’s property have been open, and the lights have been on, at the Jamaica Mews property since the weekend, neighbours claim.
And detectives have been asking residents if they heard a disturbance at the weekend, prompting speculation that the man may have lain dead for days, householders say.
The flats where the man died are believed to be owned by a housing association. They are just a few minutes’ walk from some of the most desirable addresses in the city.
Resident Ian Horsburgh said the man who lives in the flat police are examining was attacked by two weeks ago.
He said: “The man stays there by himself. He had a fight about two weeks ago. He was black and blue after this fight.”
Mr Horsburgh said that the police took both men away when they were called out to investigate the spat.
Then the 74-year-old, who tends the garden in the courtyard in Jamaica Mews, said he noticed something unusual at the under investigation flat at the weekend.
He added: “His lights have been on and his windows open since the weekend. And the police have been asking me if I heard any disturbances at the weekend. Maybe he has been lying there since then.”
Mr Horsburgh said detectives had been investigating since 8pm yesterday. He added: “They had a big crane with search lights and they were climbing all over the roof. They were also looking in my garden, like they were looking for a weapon.”
The resident said the man was English, possibly from the south-west, unemployed and suffered from mental health problems. He also suffered from epilepsy, he added.
Another neighbour said men in forensic suits carrier out searches of the scene overnight, and that a man’s body was removed from the block around 4am.
