Thai Man Killed by 'Asians' in Bradford

From the BBC:

A man who was stabbed to death in Bradford was killed in front of his pregnant girlfriend at a brothel where they lived, police have revealed.

The 42-year-old Thai man was stabbed in the chest after four men burst into the house in Little Horton Lane in the early hours of Monday.

The victim's pregnant partner comforted him but he died at the scene.

Police think the man could have been a victim of a bungled robbery. It is not known why he was living at a brothel.

The four men broke into the house by smashing through French doors.

One of them stabbed the victim once in the chest, piercing his heart, while another threatened his 40-year-old girlfriend.

The men then ran from the scene in the direction of Little Horton Lane.

Det Supt Dave Pervin, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "The victim then staggered outside and collapsed.

"Neighbours, hearing the commotion, then ran to their assistance and the police and paramedics were called."

The man died in front of his girlfriend despite attempts by neighbours and police officers to revive him.

Mr Pervin said: "This was a vicious and brutal attack.

"His pregnant partner is understandably shocked by what has happened but we have had her checked out by a doctor and both her and her unborn baby are fine."

The victim, who has not been named, was killed on his 42nd birthday. Police said he came to the UK from northern Thailand on a work permit in 2008 and had recently lost a job as a chef.

He and his partner had lived at the address for about two months.

Mr Pervin said: "We know that the property was being operated as an illegal and unlicensed brothel and one line of our inquiries is whether this was a robbery that went wrong.

"I would appeal to any brothel owners in Bradford who may have been robbed but not reported it to the police to contact us.

"I am not that interested in what activities you have been performing, what I am interested in is establishing who has murdered this 42-year-old Thai man."

Mr Pervin said he wanted to trace four young men seen "hanging around" in the area at the time of the attack.

They are described as Asian and aged in their late teens or early 20s.

The men were wearing dark clothing, possibly hoodies, and two of them were wearing beanie-type hats which were pulled down over their faces when they entered the house.