Two men appear in court charged with murder of man found dead in Renfrewshire field

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man who was found dead in a field in Renfrewshire.

Police were called after the body of a man was discovered near High Mathernock Farm in Kilmacolm around 9.20am on Tuesday.

The man was identified as Robert Best, who was reported missing from Greenock on the same day.

The 50-year-old’s family has been made aware, and a murder investigation has been launched.

On Thursday, Andrew Brodie, 51, and Stephen Shields, 44, appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court charged with murder and attempts to defeat the course of justice.

Both men made no plea and were remanded in custody.

They are due to make a second appearance within the next eight days.

A 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with assault and released pending further enquiries.

Police are also continuing investigations into reports of a disturbance in Lansbury Street, Greenock, which happened between 1pm on November 10 and 3am on November 11.

Detective Chief Inspector Graham McCreadie said: “Our thoughts are with Robert’s family and friends at this time. We are providing them with support as our investigation continues.

“An extensive investigation is being carried out and I am asking anyone who was in the Lansbury Street area or near High Mathernock Farm at those times to get in touch.

“If you have CCTV, private footage or dash-cam footage of that may have captured something, please contact us. Any information, no matter how small it may seem, could be vital.”

An online portal has been set up to encourage members of the public to submit information directly to officers.