UK oil executive murdered in Brussels A British oil executive was shot dead in Belgium in an apparent assassination, it emerged on Friday. Nicholas Mockford, a senior manager for ExxonMobil, the world largest oil company, was murdered as he walked out of an Italian restaurant in Neder-Over-Heembeek, a suburb of Brussels. Media reports said the 60-year-old executive was shot at least three times in front of his wife. Mr Mockford died on the way to hospital. His wife, Mary, was left beaten. A British official confirmed the murder but did not provide any details on suspected motives. Mr Mockford's murder happened on October 14 but the Belgian police imposed a news blackout. The Daily Telegraph, which first reported the killing, said investigators were not excluding any possibilities, including carjacking, although Mr Mockford's car was not stolen. One family member told the Telegraph he believed Mr Mockford had been shot by a contract killer. "I don't think he would put up a fight or argue with someone trying to steal his company car," the unnamed family member said. He was shot so calmly and so quickly, it smacks horribly of a professional hit, but we can't fathom why. He isn't the type to cave in to blackmail and it just doesn't compute. A Belgian police report said Mr Mockford and his wife were walking towards their car when two men tried to grab his wife's handbag. A spokesman for ExxonMobil said on Friday that the company was "shocked by the very tragic death."