Murder trial jurors shown CCTV of moment Thomas Campbell 'pounced' on before being 'tortured to death'
John Belfield is on trial accused of murder. He denies the charge, and also denies an offence of conspiring to rob Mr Campbell.
Jurors have been shown CCTV of the moment Thomas Campbell was ‘pounced upon’ at his front door before being ‘tortured to death’.
Mr Campbell, 38, could be heard to ‘scream’ as he was ambushed and attacked by three men, before being carried into his home in Mossley, Tameside, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Mr Campbell suffered ‘many injuries and indignities’ over the next two hours as he was ‘tortured to death’, prosecutors said.
John Belfield, 31, who prosecutors allege was the ‘mastermind’ of the attack and one of the three present that night, on July 2, 2022, is on trial accused of murder. He denies the charge, and also denies an offence of conspiring to rob Mr Campbell.
He is accused of plotting to rob Mr Campbell of ‘items of value’, and of conspiring with others including with Mr Campbell’s ex-wife, Coleen Campbell.
The couple, who had two children together, divorced in 2019. Coleen Campbell and two other men were convicted of being involved in a robbery conspiracy against Mr Campbell and for their roles in his death following a trial in 2023.
Coleen Campbell was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob, jurors have heard.
Prosecutors said that Campbell, from Clayton, provided details to Mr Belfield about her ex-husband’s movements, including by passing on information 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.
Jurors were told that he planted a tracker on Mr Campbell’s vehicle in the days prior, and that he was involved in carrying out ‘reconnaissance’ at his home. 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.
He was found to have been one of the three men who bundled Mr Campbell into his home before he was tortured and killed. The prosecution alleges that Mr Belfield and a third, unknown man, were also present at the time of the attack.
It was said to have been the product of ‘very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals’, and in the lead up included an ‘aborted’ attack as well as ‘reconnaissance’ trips, prosecutors allege.
On the second day of the trial on Thursday (June 5), jurors were shown CCTV footage which covered the front of Mr Campbell’s home. Nicholas de la Poer KC, prosecuting, said that three attackers emerged from a van and ‘rushed’ Mr Campbell.
He said Mr Campbell was ‘badly injured’ during a struggle. Referencing the footage, Mr de la Poer said: “That was Thomas Campbell being carried into his house for the last time.”
He was discovered naked, lay in his hallway the following morning by neighbours, who had noticed that his front door was open.
“The speed and savagery of the initial attack on Thomas Campbell is highly significant, says the prosecution,” Mr de la Poer told jurors. “The way it was carried out demonstrates that this was carefully planned, practised, ruthless, and armed.
“It demonstrates that those who were a party to this enterprise were intending on violently subduing Thomas Campbell at the very outset. They did not think he would surrender without a fight, and they offered him no opportunity to do so. They outnumbered, and they overwhelmed him.”
A pathologist later found Mr Campbell had suffered 61 external injuries. His face had been cut ‘multiple times’, his head had injuries consistent with being ‘kicked or stamped on’, he had been stabbed and strangled, and his buttocks had been ‘scalded’ with very hot liquid.
Jurors heard the house was ‘ransacked’, but that it was unclear if anything of value had been taken. Police did not find the attackers’ DNA or fingerprints at the scene.
The attackers removed the hard drive for the house’s CCTV system and the video door bell.
Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield had ‘motivation’ for planning to rob Mr Campbell. As well as potentially taking ‘items of value’, the court heard that Mr Campbell was in a relationship with Mr Belfield’s ex-girlfriend, and that Mr Belfield had displayed ‘hostility’ towards the pair.
Mr de la Poer claimed part of the motivation may be ‘John Belfield’s rage’ at Mr Campbell forming a relationship with his ex-partner.
“That is to say, that John Belfield deliberately disfigured Thomas Campbell,” the prosecutor said. Mr Belfield, of no fixed address, denies murder and conspiracy to rob.
Proceeding