Gang's chilling warning before killing man

The Evening News discovered the message on the door of the flat in Granton's Wardieburn Place West, yards from where Sean Hay, 23, was killed in front of his girlfriend and her children.

Police, who said they were unaware of the message, have now pledged to investigate what they say might be "significant information" in the hunt for his killers.

Senior officers also say it is clear a threat was made against Mr Hay's life and "that threat was carried out".

Mr Hay, who also went by the name Sean Black, had been walking home at 10.30pm on Tuesday night in nearby Wardieburn Street West when he was attacked by three men. His girlfriend and her two children – one of whom was in a pushchair – witnessed the stabbing. Mr Hay was rushed to hospital but died later.

It is unclear when the faint message – which reads "Your dead SB" – was scraped into the door. It was spotted by the Evening News yesterday morning.

DI Richard Thomas, who is leading the investigation, didn't say how significantly the police would treat the message.

He said: "If the message has been written on the door before the incident we might think that it's been written by the culprit, if it was written after, it is just graffiti, but it is significant information that hasn't been disclosed to us previously.

"Clearly, there was a threat against this man's life – either scratched on a door or otherwise – and this threat has been carried out.

"The girlfriend isn't there now and we're taking measures to make sure that the people involved are safe.

"There is still a lot of work to be done to gather information, speak to people and gather CCTV evidence but in terms of detaining and arresting someone we are no further forward on that.

"The bottom line is that this guy's been stabbed in the street in front of his girlfriend and two small children and we are doing everything we can to catch the people responsible."

DI Thomas said door-to-door inquiries would be continuing in the area and CCTV footage was also being scoured for clues.

The three men involved were last seen running away from the scene of the crime towards Granton Primary and could have made their escape in a car. Officers are still to recover a murder weapon.

Police have refused to comment on reports that the killing may have been drug-related or whether Mr Hay was a heroin addict.

Neighbour Wendy Allan, who lives directly above Mr Hay's girlfriend's flat at Wardieburn Place West, said she heard the communal door to the property being kicked in on Tuesday night but did not know when the message had been left.

She said the flat was being used as "temporary accommodation".

She said: "I've never really spoken to the couple who live there before. You used to hear the kids crying regularly. There was also guys round regularly shouting up at the window. I don't know what for."

One resident, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said Mr Hay had lived in the area all his life. He said it had been relatively trouble-free in recent years but fear the murder of Mr Hay will lead to trouble.

He said: "Sean wasn't a bad guy, but it's the survival of the fittest round here. After 7pm I won't go out my door.

"There are gangs of teenagers and people in their 20s hanging about all the time and it's guaranteed they're going to say something to you if you walk past.

"If you look for trouble, you'll get trouble round here. This makes you wonder what's going to happen next and who's going to get stabbed next."

Roger Williams, 42, lives round the corner from where the stabbing took place said: "This area attracts a lot of kids so I didn't think to look out the window when I heard screaming and shouting."

Mr Hay's mother Veronica, who lives in Muirhouse, was said to be too upset to speak last night.

But another Muirhouse family member was quoted as saying this morning that the victim did have his drug problems.

She reportedly said: "We knew Sean had been taking heroin and we knew he had been dealing it at one stage.

"He was due up in court for that. But he had given it up recently for the sake of his family.

"He managed that for a while but I think he was back into it and I think he was killed over drugs. It's tragic.

"He loved his family and was fanatical about cars. He had three or four on the go at once last time I saw him."

Police were unable to confirm reports that Mr Hay was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on drugs charges.

Another close friend of the victim, who did not want to be named, told reporters: "You couldn't have got a better guy. His girlfriend was due a baby – she was four-and-a-half months pregnant. He's already got a young boy, who idolised him.

"He was a really good father. His girlfriend has two young ones. It's awful."

Another reportedly added: "He was looking forward to his baby being born. He was a really, really good guy with a heart of gold. I was just speaking to him yesterday."