Murder victim had window smashed days before death

A MURDER victim contacted the council to complain that eggs had been thrown at his Wester Hailes flat and his window had been smashed just four days before he was stabbed to death.

Martin Hughes went to the council offices at Westside Plaza to lodge a complaint with the community safety team on Thursday after he was targeted by vandals.

The 34-year-old suffered a stab wound on Monday and was treated by paramedics after staggering out of a flat in Wester Hailes Park at 3pm.

Council chiefs said Mr Hughes had made the complaint to them and it was being investigated, but added that he had not contacted police over the incident.

Detectives today said they could not comment on the matter while the murder inquiry was ongoing.

But it is understood that officers do not believe the vandal attack on his home was connected to his death.

A local resident said: "Martin was feeling concerned about his safety and went to the community safety team to complain about what happened.

"People often feel as if no-one cares about what happens here and we're just left to fend for ourselves until something like this happens."

A city council spokeswoman said: "The victim had made a complaint on Thursday about a relatively minor incident. We were investigating this using normal procedures. Mr Hughes had not reported this to police."

It also emerged today that police responded to an alleged hammer attack on a man at another address in Wester Hailes Park on Saturday. It is understood the incident was unconnected with Mr Hughes' death.

Neighbours paid tribute to Mr Hughes as an animal lover who owned an Alsatian dog named Chomp.

A woman who recently sold him a puppy also played down initial rumours that Mr Hughes had been killed after a row over payment for a dog.

Andrea Kerray, 40, said she had recently sold him a Rottweiler puppy which died shortly afterwards.

She said: "I had known Martin for a couple of years, and when my dog had a litter he was desperate for a puppy.

"So when more puppies came I agreed to sell him one for 250 and he was paying it up, he had already paid 115.

"The puppy died last Thursday because of a mix-up over its age. He took it out when it was too young and it got a disease."

Another neighbour, Stuart Mcintosh, 17, had known Martin for two years and remembered him as being friendly, but possibly involved in drugs.

He said: "I heard that he was arguing with some people at his door on Saturday. It might have been drug-related."

A police spokeswoman confirmed that they were following a positive line of inquiry and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.