A man tortured to death in his own home was discovered naked in his hallway with his ankles bound with duct tape, a murder trial has heard..
The body of Thomas Campbell, 38, was discovered by his neighbours in Mossley, Tameside, the morning after the fatal attack, jurors at Manchester Crown Court were told.
Three men ‘pounced’ on Mr Campbell as he arrived home late on a Saturday night.
One of the alleged attackers, 31-year-old John Belfield, has denied being present that night and pleaded not guilty to murder.
Another man alleged to be involved, Reece Steven, was previously found guilty of murder. A third man involved has not been identified.
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The attack was the product of ‘very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals’, prosecutors claim.
Jurors heard from forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Campbell’s body and said he was lying on his back, naked apart from a pair of socks.
He said that Mr Campbell’s ankles were ‘bound together tightly’ with duct tape and that Mr Campbell had suffered injuries consistent with ‘restraint’ and ‘asphyxia’. He said that injuries to Mr Campbell’s head and neck were consistent with a sustained blunt sharp force physical assault.
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 had 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 injuries, blunt force head injuries and pressure to the neck.
A tracking device had been put on Mr Campbell’s car, and research had been carried out in the days prior to the attack, on July 2, 2022.
Mr Belfield, 31, is accused of being the mastermind of a plot to rob Mr Campbell.
Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield had the motivation to plan to rob Mr Campbell, and claim he was allegedly seeking ‘items of value’ from Mr Campbell’s home.
They also heard Mr Campbell was in a relationship with Mr Belfield’s ex-girlfriend and that Mr Belfield had displayed ‘hostility’ towards the pair.
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, 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.
He was responsible for planting the tracker on Mr Campbell’s vehicle, and 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 following the same trial in 2023.
Mr Belfield, of no fixed address, denies murder and conspiracy to rob.
The trial continues.
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