Man found shot in East Kilbride was abducted from Barnsley home, police say
A man who was shot and dumped in a street in Scotland had been abducted from his home in South Yorkshire, police believe.
A man who was shot and dumped in a street in Scotland had been abducted from his home in South Yorkshire, police believe.
The 45-year-old victim was beaten over a period of eight hours at his house in Strafford Walk, Dodworth, Barnsley, and then driven 250 miles to East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, where he was shot in the knees and dumped by the side of a road in March.
Emergency services found the man on a grass verge near the junction of Stewartfield Way and Stewartfield Crescent on March 13 this year.
He was taken to Hairmyres Hospital in the town for extensive treatment and has since been released. Police said he can no longer walk unaided.
E-fit images have now been released of three men police are hunting over the abduction and shooting.
Officers have been working to establish the movement of the victim in the days before he was found in East Kilbride and they believe a group of men forced their way into his home on March 11 at about 7.30pm.
In the early hours of March 12 he was driven to Scotland in an unidentified vehicle over a period of 16 hours and discovered in East Kilbride at about 12pm on March 13.
Police Scotland said they have received "considerable support and information'' from the public in the nine months since the incident and they are working with officers in England to trace the suspects.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Boyd said: "This shooting was a shocking incident, which occurred in broad daylight, yards from a busy town, homes and a supermarket.
"This man was systematically assaulted, threatened and was in fear for his life. He has been left with life-changing injuries and may be unable to walk unaided again.
"We're still piecing together the timeline, mapping out the full journey which the attackers and the victim took, and have carried out a significant amount of enquiries since the incident, which has included checking CCTV and speaking to local people in both Barnsley and East Kilbride.
"I would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the man being shot and left injured in East Kilbride on March 13. I am also keen to speak with anyone who noticed any vehicles acting suspiciously in the area.
"We are issuing e-fits of three individuals who we wish to trace who may have critical information that could help with our enquiries. Do you recognise these individuals? Can you give us names of these people? If you can, please call us.
"To make it clear, we do believe that this attack was targeted and was not a random assault.
"I'd like to again reassure the local community of East Kilbride that immediately following this incident increased patrols were in the area to provide additional public safety, reassurance and a visible demonstration of how seriously Police Scotland view such attacks.''