Man’s death treated as suspicious as police suspect assault

The death of a man in North Lanarkshire is being treated as suspicious as initial investigations indicate he was assaulted.

Police were called to Maxton Crescent, Wishaw, at around 2.10pm on Thursday December 5 following the death of James McMaster.

Following a post-mortem examination, police are treating the 53-year-old’s death as suspicious and believe he was assaulted.

Officers have been conducting door-to-door inquiries and reviewing CCTV footage.

Police are keen to hear from people who knew James and are appealing for them to get in touch.

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “From our inquiries so far, we believe that James has been the victim of an assault.

“It’s vital that anyone with information about James comes forward. All information is crucial as it helps us piece together what has happened.

“We are in the process of building a picture of James’ movements, who he saw, where he went, and we can only do that with details from those who knew him or saw him.

“I would urge anyone who knew James to think back to the last time they saw or spoke to him and to get in touch with us with any details.

“Let us decide what’s significant so we can find answers for James’ family and friends.”

The force said additional patrols are in place.

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1788 of Thursday December 5.