Thomas Campbell, 38, was allegedly murdered at his Greater Manchester home in July 2022 where his body was found ‘bound at the ankles and naked accept for a pair of socks’
The body of a man was discovered naked and bound by duct tape in his hallway after being ‘tortured to death’, a court has heard. Jurors at the murder trial of Thomas Campbell, 38, heard how three men ‘pounced’ on him as he arrived home late one Saturday night in Mossley, Tameside during the summer of 2022. Prosecutors at Manchester Crown Court allege that one of the was John Belfield.
The 31-year-old, of no fixed address, denies being present and has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob. Another of the men, Reece Steven, was found guilty of murder at a previous trial while the identity of the third man remains unknown. The brutal and fatal attack on Mr Campbell was the result of a ‘very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals’, the prosecution claims.
They allegedly went so far as planting a tracking device on the victim’s car and carried out ‘reconnaissance’ in the days leading up to his death almost three years ago on July 2.
Mr Belfield is accused of being the ‘mastermind’ of a plot to rob Mr Campbell and had ‘motivation’ for planning to rob the deceased, reports Manchester Evening News. Jurors were told Mr Belfield was allegedly seeking ‘items of value’ from Mr Campbell’s home.
They also heard that Mr Campbell was in a relationship with Mr Belfield’s ex-girlfriend, with the latter showing ‘hostility’ towards the couple.
Mr Campbell’s ex-wife, Coleen Campbell, is one of three people to have been previously convicted in connection with her ex-husband’s death following a trial in 2023.
She gave details to Mr Belfield about her ex-husband’s movements, which included relaying information given from her children. Stephen Cleworth, from Heywood, who had acted as a driver for Mr Belfield, was also convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.
He was responsible for planting the tracker on Mr Campbell’s vehicle and was involved in carrying out ‘reconnaissance’ at his home. However, he was not present at the scene of the murder.
Reece Steven, from Middleton, described by prosecutors as being Mr Belfield’s ‘right hand man’, was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob following the same trial in 2023.
Jurors also heard from forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Campbell’s body.
The expert said he attended the scene and observed where Mr Campbell’s body was found. He told how Mr Campbell was lying on his back in the hallway of his home.
“He was naked apart from a pair of socks,” Dr Lumb said. He added that Mr Campbell’s ankles were “bound together tightly” with duct tape.
It was found that Mr Campbell had suffered injuries consistent with ‘restraint’ and ‘asphyxia’. Dr Lumb said that injuries to Mr Campbell’s head and neck were consistent with a “sustained blunt sharp force physical assault”.
In addition, there was evidence of ‘burning’ to Mr Campbell’s thigh and buttocks, which Dr Lumb argued had been caused by a “hot liquid such as hot water”. He also sustained a “gaping stab wound” to his right upper arm which would have bled ‘extensively’.
His arm was found with a ‘makeshift tourniquet’. Dr Lumb said he concluded that Mr Campbell’s medical cause of death included “multiple sharp force injures, blunt force head injuries’ and ‘pressure to the neck”.