DETECTIVES investigating an alleged murder have appealed for information about the victim.

Serxhio Marku, 21, was found critically injured by officers at a ground floor flat in Stafford Road last week.

He died en route to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

But as the two men accused of his killing appeared before Lewes Crown Court today, officers still do not know about Mr Marku’s movements in Brighton and Hove.

Most of his family, who have been informed about his death, are Albanian, the force said.

Today, Francesco D’Agostino, 44, a kitchen worker, of Stafford Road, Brighton, and Giuseppe Petriccione, 45, an Italian national of no fixed address, appeared in court charged with Mr Marku’s murder.

They will next appear in court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 1.

Now police are turning their inquiry towards understanding more about Mr Marku and what he was doing here.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Geldart said: “I am particularly keen to reach out to Serxhio’s friends in the Brighton area as we know very little about him and we want to find out where he lived and who he associated with locally.

"We believe that he may have travelled from the city to the Seven Dials area, and possibly on to Stafford Road, by taxi during the evening before he was attacked. 

“He may have been with two other men and we would like to hear from the taxi driver who carried that fare.

“Specialist family liaison officers are supporting Serxhio's family, who are mainly in Albania, and our thoughts are with them and his friends.

"I urge anyone with information about the incident, events leading up to it or especially about Serxhio himself, to report online or call 101 quoting Operation Barnfield.”