Man's death treated as suspicious as police investigate assault in Wishaw

Police are treating the death of a man in North Lanarkshire as suspicious after initial investigations suggest he was assaulted.

Officers were called to Maxton Crescent in Wishaw at around 2.10pm on December 5 following the death of 53-year-old James McMaster.

Police said after initial enquiries, they believe Mr McMaster was the victim of an assault and that investigations are continuing.

Additional patrols have been dispatched to the area and the force is urging anyone with information to come forward.

Detective chief inspector Bob Williamson, from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team said: “From our enquiries 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.”

He added: “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.”

Area Commander, chief inspector Gail Nicol said: “The community can be assured that we are doing everything we can to establish the full circumstances of James’ death.

“Additional patrols will be in the area, working alongside officers investigating James’ death. Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 1788 of Thursday, December 5, 2024.”