A man who was allegedly kidnapped and tortured in a horrific attack that was shared on Snapchat has died in hospital. Alan Lawson, 36, was found severely injured at his home in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, on Sunday. He passed away two days later.
Brutal assault and online boast
According to sources who viewed the disturbing clips on Snapchat, Lawson’s attacker held him hostage while he inflicted gruesome injuries on him. The attacker claimed that Lawson was chained to a radiator while he was beaten and slashed, leaving him with a gaping wound on his head. The attacker also claimed to have used superglue to try to fix the injury.
The attacker then shared a vile selfie of himself with his face and chest covered in blood. He also shared a video that showed Lawson lying on the floor of a blood-stained room. The images are too graphic to publish, but they show clothes and bedsheets scattered across the wooden floor next to the wounded victim.
Murder investigation launched
Police Scotland have launched a murder investigation and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. They said that Lawson was last seen alive by a friend at his flat around 10.45am on Friday. His body was discovered on Sunday morning and officers want to hear from anyone who may have seen or spoken to him between these hours.
Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Thompson said: “Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since the deceased was discovered on Sunday morning. Door-to-door enquiries have been carried out and officers continue to gather relevant CCTV footage for any more information that could assist in tracing whoever is responsible for this murder.
“We are also working to establish a motive for this crime and are in the process of piecing together the deceased’s last known movements to find out as much detail as possible on the circumstances surrounding this death.
“I would urge anyone with information on this murder to contact us as soon as possible. Any witnesses, or anyone who holds any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, should get in touch with us.
“I’m aware the local community will be concerned by this incident and I would like to stress that everything is being done to catch whoever is responsible. Additional police patrols are in the area and members of the public are encouraged to speak to a police officer if they have any concerns.”
Sources say attacker is on the run
Sources say that Lawson’s attacker has now “gone on the run” and is believed to be hiding in a nearby town. They also say that the attacker is known to Lawson and that the motive for the attack may be related to a personal dispute.
One source said: “It’s absolutely sickening what he did to Alan. He tortured him for hours and then bragged about it online. He’s a dangerous and evil person and he needs to be caught before he hurts anyone else.”
Another source said: “Alan was a nice guy who didn’t deserve this. He had his problems, but he was always friendly and helpful. He was well-liked in the area and everyone is shocked and saddened by what happened to him.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0899 of March 25.
