Father dies after breaking up fight

A FATHER-OF-THREE has died of a suspected heart attack just minutes after trying to break up a fight between neighbours in his street.

Police are investigating after David Naughton, 41, collapsed following the disturbance outside his Moredun home on Friday evening. His devastated wife Donna, 37, today told of how he had gone outside after hearing a disturbance and had tried to act as peacemaker.

She said: "There was a loud disturbance outside between a couple of the neighbours and Davie went outside to see if he could calm things down.

"He was only out there a couple of minutes. When he came back in he looked like he was having a turn and then he just collapsed. I tried to give him CPR until the ambulance arrived but it was no good."

Mr Naughton, a site manager for Stewart Milne Homes, had a heart transplant two years ago to correct a congenital heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart is weakened and enlarged.

The same condition is thought to have killed his father, Owen, 29 years ago when he was just 39.

Mrs Naughton will have to raise the couple's children Calum, seven, and Ava, two, alone. Mr Naughton also has an older son Owen, 23, from a previous relationship.

Mrs Naughton said: "I sent Calum to school yesterday and I only told him when he got home. He knows that daddy had a new heart and I explained to him that the new heart broke. Davie was just a family man through and through. He doted on his children."

Mrs Naughton said her husband had intervened in the past to sort out problems outside their property on Moredunvale View.

She said: "The police gave us an anti-social behaviour diary to keep a track of all the things happening on the street.

"Davie couldn't stand it. He used to wonder why hard-working families had to put up with it."

Neighbour Robert Cairns said: "We live on the street with the neighbours from hell.

"One family allow their flat to be used as a doss house and drinking den for all the kids in the street."

Local councillor Tom Buchanan said: "This is awful news. I shall be straight on to the police and the neighbourhood action units to discover how this was allowed to happen."

Mr Naughton's body was due to undergo a post-mortem examination this morning. Neighbours said he may have been hit with a bottle.

A police spokeswoman said: "Police are keeping an open mind, and inquiries are ongoing to establish if the death is linked to the incident."