‘Masterpiece’ found in dead Dundee artist’s flat

An unfinished sculpture by a murdered Dutch artist has been found in the flat where he was killed.

Joiner Rick Diamond found an incomplete scale model of Edinburgh’s Scott Monument after being asked to empty the former home of Jeroen van Neijhof.

Mr van Neijhof, 38, was stabbed to death by John Styles at the property on Brown Constable Street in Dundee on May 23.

Mr Diamond from Craigiebank described the artist’s unfinished wooden carving as “a masterpiece”.

“I don’t know how he did it, the man was a genius,” the 74-year-old said. “It’s a beautiful thing. It is very well done and everything fits perfectly.”

Mr Diamond believes the work had been commissioned and hopes whoever originally wanted the piece will come forward to claim it.

He said: “It’s a bit of a mystery, there is no paperwork in the house or anything.

“If nobody owns up, we’ll just donate it to a trust in Edinburgh.”

Last week, Styles, 21, was locked up for life after he admitted stabbing the artist 19 times in a frenzied, drug-fuelled attack.