Residents' shock after dad attacked in Sheffield home dies

Graham Eddie, aged 42, was found by a friend on the morning of Saturday, March 12, in his flat on Southcroft Walk, near Abbeydale Road.

He was unconscious and had facial injuries, including swelling and cuts.

Mr Eddie was taken to hospital where he remained in a life-threatening condition until his death on Monday.

In the wake of the tragedy, neighbours on his street have paid tribute to a man they described as ‘pleasant’ and ‘introverted’.

Stewart Holmes, 65, a resident on the street for 25 years, said: “It’s a big shock that he’s died, I’m speechless. Nobody deserves that.

“It’s a quiet area here. You just don’t expect such awful things to happen. It really brings it home.”

Neighbour Janet Chrimes, 63, said: “It is a shame that such a young man has died.

“He was a quiet chap, introverted. My husband and I would see him going to the shops and say hello, but that’s about it.

“He was pleasant, but quiet. Very much kept himself to himself.”

Neighbours reported that Mr Eddie was a father to three children and worked on fishing boats in Scotland.

They said Mr Eddie, who had lived on the street for around six months, was often seen with an older woman, understood to be his girlfriend.

A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out today.

Neighbour Rita Mullen, 71, said: “I hope they catch whoever did this.

“I saw him on that Saturday when all the police were here. I saw paramedics push him down in a chair and put him in the ambulance.

“It was such an upsetting sight, he looked in a really bad way. He was unconscious, I could tell that.

“I couldn’t rest that day because I kept seeing him in my mind. It’s awful, it really is.”

Police confirmed a 50-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed pending further enquiries.

Officers have issued a new appeal for information about Mr Eddie’s movements in the days leading up to his death.

Det Sgt Anna Sedgwick said: “We need to understand how Graham came to have these injuries and I repeat my call for witnesses to come forward and speak to police.

“We know he was on Abbeydale Road at around 5.20pm on Friday, March 11, and that he was in the local supermarket close to his address.

“We need to hear from anyone who can help us piece together his movements that day and later into the evening.”

n Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting incident number 743 of 12 March 2016.