Ayrshire town left ‘shocked and horrified’ by man’s murder

THE murder of a “popular and well-known” man whose burned body was found at the side of a road in Ayrshire has shocked and horrified the local community, an MSP said today.

Police said Stuart Walker, 28, of Cumnock, Ayrshire, was found dead with “horrible injuries” in an industrial estate shortly before 5am on Saturday.

Police have launched a murder investigation and are looking into all aspects of Mr Walker’s life amid reports he may have been targeted because of his sexuality.

The local MSP said the attack has shaken the community.

Adam Ingram told BBC Radio Scotland: “People are shocked and horrified.

“Stuart was a very nice young man, very popular and well-known within the Cumnock community, and their thoughts and hearts are going out to the family at the moment.

“It’s shocking and horrifying, and it’s come completely out of the blue. It’s clearly shaken the local community.”

Mr Ingram, the SNP MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, said he understood that vigils have been taking place in the area.

He told the Good Morning Scotland programme: “Stuart was very well-known and popular in the area, and I understand there have been many visits to the family home.”

Mr Ingram said he would not speculate on the motive for the attack, saying police were not releasing many details about the case at this stage.

He added: “Clearly they’re looking for local people who might know anything at all about what happened late on Friday night/Saturday morning to come forward and help them with their inquiries.”

Strathclyde Police confirmed Mr Walker’s body was found scorched at the side of the road at Caponacre industrial estate in Cumnock.

They would not comment on reports he had been tied to a lamp-post and beaten.

Officers are not ruling out the possibility that the attack was motivated by homophobia.

A force spokeswoman said today: “We are looking into all aspects of Mr Walker’s life to establish why he was killed.”

Detectives are also checking CCTV footage and making door-to-door inquiries in a bid to trace his last movements.

Detective Inspector John Hogg, of Strathclyde Police, said Mr Walker was last seen alive about two hours before he was killed.

He said: “Stuart had been out with friends in the Cumnock area earlier during the night and was last seen alive by a family friend near to the fire station in Glaisnock Street around 2.30am on Saturday morning - nearly two-and-a-half hours before he was found.

“It is imperative that we find out where he was between 2.30am and 4.50am, who he was with and why this happened to him.

“From our inquiries so far, we understand that there may have been a number of house parties in the nearby Netherthird housing estate in the early hours of the morning.

“At this time we do not know if these parties are linked to our investigation or not, so, again, any information on that is important.”

Hundreds of tributes were left on Facebook pages set up to honour the former Royal Hotel worker.

A post from Karen Nicol on a page called RIP Stuart Walker, which almost 4,500 people joined, read: “Life is so unfair. A genuine guy who always had a smile, a wave or a big cheery hello for everyone. Cumnock an emptier place without you for lots of people.”

Anne Dunnachie wrote: “Every once in a while we are lucky enough to have known someone like you Stuart. A very special person...the world lost a wonderful person yesterday.”