{"id":198408,"date":"2025-06-19T23:46:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/198408\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T23:46:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:46:17","slug":"alleged-mastermind-joked-about-murder-of-thomas-campbell-trial-hears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/198408\/","title":{"rendered":"Alleged \u2018mastermind\u2019 joked about murder of Thomas Campbell, trial hears"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Belfield denies murdering Thomas Campbell, and conspiring to rob himJohn Belfield (left) is on trial accused of murdering Thomas Campbell(Image: GMP)<\/p>\n

An alleged \u2018mastermind\u2019 accused of murder read numerous news stories, messaged co-defendants and joked about the court case after fleeing to South America, a jury has heard.<\/p>\n

The body of Thomas Campbell, 38, was discovered by his neighbours in Mossley, Tameside, the morning after the fatal attack, jurors have heard. Three men ‘pounced’ on Mr Campbell as he arrived home late on a Saturday night, Manchester Crown Court has been told.<\/p>\n

It is alleged that one of the attackers was 31-year-old John Belfield. He denies being present and has pleaded not guilty to murder. Another of the men, Reece Steven, was found guilty of murder at a previous trial. The identity of the third man remains unknown.<\/p>\n

The attack – during which it is alleged Mr Campbell was ‘tortured to death’ – was the product of \u2018very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals’, the prosecution alleges.<\/p>\n

A tracking device had been put on Mr Campbell’s car and ‘reconnaissance’ had been carried out in the days prior to the attack, on July 2, 2022.<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield, 31, is accused of being the \u2018mastermind\u2019 of a plot to rob Mr Campbell. Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield had \u2018motivation\u2019 for planning to rob Mr Campbell. Jurors were told Mr Belfield was allegedly seeking \u2018items of value\u2019 from Mr Campbell\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

They also previously heard that Mr Campbell was in a relationship with Mr Belfield\u2019s ex-girlfriend and that Mr Belfield had displayed \u2018hostility\u2019 towards the pair.<\/p>\n

Mr Campbell’s ex-wife Coleen Campbell was previously convicted in connection with her ex-husband’s death following a trial in 2023.<\/p>\n

Thomas Campbell(Image: M.E.N.)<\/p>\n

She gave details to Mr Belfield about her ex-husband\u2019s movements, including by passing on information from her children. Stephen Cleworth, from Heywood<\/a>, who had acted as a driver for Mr Belfield, was also convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.<\/p>\n

He was responsible for plating the tracker on Mr Campbell\u2019s vehicle, and he was involved in carrying out \u2018reconnaissance\u2019 at his home.<\/p>\n

He was not present at the scene of the murder. Reece Steven, from Middleton, described by prosecutors as being Mr Belfield\u2019s \u2018right hand man\u2019, was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob following the same trial in 2023.<\/p>\n

As Mr Belfield\u2019s trial continued, jurors heard that following the alleged attack, there were a number of calls between Cleworth and Mr Belfield, before Cleworth read a story on the M.E.N app titled: \u2018Investigation launched after man found dead\u2019.<\/p>\n

The court heard that Colleen Campbell had also been to see a psychic in the days after Mr Cambell\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Jurors heard that Mr Belfield left the UK with a passport bearing a different name on July 4 2022 and flew to Suriname, a small country in South America. Nine months later, in March 2023 was apprehended and flown back to Manchester Airport<\/a> where he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police, the court heard.<\/p>\n

A number of phones were seized and analysed, revealing that he had messaged numerous associates using the \u2018Signal\u2019 messaging app about the court case, it was said. The jury were shown a large number of messages from phones attributed to Mr Belfield.<\/p>\n

To one associate called \u2018James\u2019, he said: \u201cListen I’ll be good in the doc [sic] but I’ll just wait because when people start getting a no guilty they can\u2019t use the evidence on me then because it’s no guilty evidence. I would love to come back and get the team a not guilty but you\u2019re gunna [sic] have to do it yourself, just say you will have to ask John.\u201d He added a number of laughing emojis to the message.<\/p>\n

He then asked about the trial, the evidence and the lack of strength in the case, the court heard.<\/p>\n

John Belfield<\/p>\n

\u2018James\u2019 then replied: \u201cLord forgive the prosecution as they know now what the [sic] do. It’s the least we can do. Our father. Angels. The Lords Justice men. Serving up deaths in the name of the Lord. Blessings be with you. Tom was sentenced to death in the name of Jesus. Amen.\u201d He added a number of laughing emojis.<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield later sent a message to another associate: \u201cIf the evidence is not strong enough against them they cannot use it against me. The trouble is getting a not guilty. Got a chance of getting away with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Days before the trial involving Colleen Campbell, Reece Steven and Stephen Cleworth, Mr Belfield and Steven were messaging using the Signal app, the court heard. Steven was in custody at the time.<\/p>\n

He sent Mr Belfield 34 pages of the sequence of events document that was to be produced in evidence before the jury, it was said.<\/p>\n

In one exchange, Mr Belfield wrote: \u201cTom crumble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven replied: \u201cTomato crumble. Dripping his tomato juice everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield replied: \u201cYeah must have bled everywhere\u201d adding a laughing emoji.<\/p>\n

Steven wrote: \u201cI didn\u2019t say blood mate, I said juice. Ure crazy bro.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield said: \u201cLike a little girl. He\u2019s on his period\u2026Tom juice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven replied: \u201cA little bit of Tommy ketchup.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a later exchange, Mr Belfield wrote: \u201cAll the lights on but no one\u2019s home. Actually the lights been smashed out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven replied: \u201cHe ran out of his sauce. Empty bottle. No lid on it. It\u2019s better this way Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield responded: \u201cDon\u2019t think he believed the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Steven said: \u201cHe\u2019s just crum now. In the graveyard now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven had also sent Mr Belfield a video with the caption: \u201cEveryone is a gangster until a real gangster arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The court heard that Mr Belfield repeatedly sent links to others of the Manchester Evening News coverage of the trial.<\/p>\n

Manchester Crown Court(Image: MEN Media)<\/p>\n

Another associate had messaged Mr Belfield about Cleworth giving evidence. The defendant replied: \u201cYeah its cool mate I have told them to say all this\u2026Because its a free run\u2026. Everyone can say all this because when it comes to my trial they can\u2019t use anything on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cBecause course they’re gonna blame the guy who\u2019s not there. Funny init the police know an the one it charge [sic] but they know there is next to f**k all on me I don’t even put the tracker on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have no evidence to back up, just some storybook. What they think happened, All I have done wrong is give reg of a car. It’s funny because they can\u2019t even prove if it did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield said that the police had evidence of him buying a blowtorch with cash. About this he said: \u201cBut we didn’t use a blowtorch we used hot liquid of a flash to burn him. They don\u2019t have a clue bro. The police are idiots but they just make it up as they go because they have f**k all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just make anything fit don’t they just need these a not guilty and I\u2019ll be back with the best KC going am already on them. Don’t watch me lad. Mastermind out here\u201d adding two laughing emojis.<\/p>\n

Mr Belfield, of no fixed address, denies murder and conspiracy to rob.<\/p>\n

The trial continues.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"John Belfield denies murdering Thomas Campbell, and conspiring to rob himJohn Belfield (left) is on trial accused of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,30,393,4884,2465,13393,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-198408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-courts","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-manchester","13":"tag-manchester-crown-court","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114712700148948904","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}