POLICE investigating the Valentine's Day murder of a builder have released CCTV footage of his last moments.
Mark Corcoran from Croydon collapsed from a single stab wound to the heart and died shortly after in a off-license in South Norwood.
At 8.20pm on February 14 police were called to Subitha Food and Wine shop in Whitehorse Lane, to reports of the 26-year-old man who was suffering from serious injuries.
Police and the ambulance service attended but Mr Corcoran was pronounced dead at the scene.
To help find his killer two CCTV stills have been released picturing the minutes before Mr Corcoran collapsed.
He had staggered into the shop from Park Road asking for help, telling the shopkeeper he had been stabbed.
The first CCTV image features a blond woman in her 20s only 44 seconds before Mark entered the shop.
Police now believe that he was stabbed within 100 yards of the shop and the woman may have seen something that will assist their investigation.
They are appealing for any information as to who this woman is and asking her to contact them.
The second CCTV image shows Mr Corcoran wearing a stripy sweatshirt two seconds before he collapsed in the shop.
Police would urgently like to trace the man and woman who were stood at the counter.
DCI Cliff Lyons said: "We would really like to hear from the people in these CCTV stills or from anyone who may know how we can contact them.
“They are not suspects in this investigation but they may hold valuable information in helping us solve this crime.
“Mark was probably stabbed within 100 yards from the shop and due to the nature of his injury collapsed shortly after he asked for help.
“Witness accounts will enable us to get a fuller picture of the circumstances leading to his death, I would urge anyone with information to come forward."
Although a man in his 40s was arrested on February 16, he has since been bailed to return to a south London police station in mid-march.
A neighbour who wished to remain anonymous said: “He must have been dead when the ambulance got there.
“I saw them bringing him out on a stretcher but they put him in the ambulance and it stayed there for a good hour or so.
“I’ve lived here for nearly 25-years and this stuff doesn’t surprise me any more. I just don’t go out at night, it’s too dangerous.”
Speaking after the murder, just yards from Selhurst Park, Neil Warnock, manager of Crystal Palace FC, told Radio Five Live: “I didn’t know this until this afternoon. It is an absolute blow to the family and everybody [concerned with the victim].
“It shouldn’t happen. But unfortunately since I have been down here, I am from Sheffield as you know, every week in the local paper nine times out of [10] it’s a knife injury to somebody. It’s frightening at times down here.”
Ward councillor Luke Clancy: “For this murder to occur in a residential area is a shock to everyone.
“The police were quick to react and have also organised extra patrols of the area to reassure the public.
“I would urge anyone who knows anything about this incident to get in contact with the police.”
An incident room opened under DCI Cliff Lyons from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command based in Lewisham.
If anyone has information or may know the witnesses featured in the CCTV images they should call police on 020 8721 4961; if you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here