Police officers could travel to South Africa to try and find the killer of a Croydon man murdered months after moving to Brighton.

Michael Polding was discovered in his flat in Kemp Town, Brighton, with multiple injuries by police on July 16, last year, but it was ruled he died sometime between May 23 and May 30.

The 62-year-old, who was openly gay, had moved from Croydon nine months earlier.

An inquest into his death on Wednesday, ruled he was unlawfully killed having sustained serious chest injuries.

The inquest heard he had been "abandoned and neglected" by his partner, South African-born Ricardo Pisano.

Nicknamed the Artful Dodger, Pisano who is believed to be in his 30s, is the number one suspect and still at large.

Sussex Police said there was a "real possibility" investigators would head to his homeland in a bid to question him.

Brighton and Hove Coroners’ Court heard Pisano had extorted money from friends of Mr Polding and turned violent and threatening when the money ran out.

He had persuaded witness Hannington Obotoe, whose wife knew Pisano, to start a hairdressing business with Mr Polding’s flatmate in Brighton Emmett Friel.

Mr Obotoe, who lost savings of more than £4,000 in the failed venture, described how Pisano turned into a "nasty man" when he demanded more money.

He added: "He took all the receipts and said I owed £2,000. He then started making threats that he was going to kill me and my family."

The court also heard how Pisano headbutted Mr Friel when he demanded money, prompting the actor to move out.

Mr Polding’s family, who were present at the inquest, said they had felt uneasy with the relationship between himself and Pisano, who was also known as Ree.

His sister Frances said: "I felt his money was being frittered away, it was being used not for Michael’s benefit but for Ree.

"We felt as though what happened [being killed] was going to happen. My sisters felt one day there would be a knock on the door."

Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said: "Michael was living with a dangerous man who his friends and family distrusted and believed the relationship was abusive.

"If the cause of his injuries had been accidental, he [Pisano] would not have abandoned and left. The action of any person would be to stay and help but in these circumstances no help was sought."

Mrs Polding said the family would not have complete closure until the "final pieces" of Michael’s life were put together and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Inspector Jon Fanner, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said he was confident "in time" Pisano would be caught and added more information could be found at findricky.com

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex Police on 01273 470101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.