His name loomed large as the full horror of Thomas Campbell's murder emerged for the first time. But John Belfield was nowhere to be seen.
Believed to have fled the country, his name rang out at Bolton Crown Court but he did not take his seat alongside his four co-accused as five weeks worth of evidence played out. Despite his absence, he played a central role in the trial.
Captured on CCTV footage, his social media activity and movements forensically examined, prosecutors claimed it put him at the scene of the crime. This newly released CCTV footage taken from the Flavour Factory takeaway in Failsworth shows Belfield with Reece Steven, a convicted armed robber later found guilty of Campbell's murder, just hours before the killing.
READ MORE: How Thomas Campbell was betrayed by a woman who claimed to love him
His alleged motives were the central plank of their case, and he was described as the 'mastermind' of the attack. They argued that alleged drug dealer Belfield wanted to punish Thomas Campbell for daring to begin a relationship with his ex-girlfriend, a woman he was said to regard as 'his property'. Robbing Campbell of cash, drugs or valuables was another advantage of a plan to target his love rival, they claimed.
They alleged he was at the scene when Campbell was 'tortured to death' on Saturday, July 2 last year. He had plotted with Campbell's ex-wife Coleen Campbell who provided key intelligence about her former spouse's movements, the trial heard.
Belfield, 28, was not in court to give his side of the story, and it remains to be seen if he ever will. But if GMP get their way, there will be a second part to this appalling tale.
"Belfield is currently a priority for us," Detective Inspector Simon Akker, the officer in charge of Greater Manchester Police's manhunt team, told the Manchester Evening News last year, months before the Thomas Campbell murder trial began.
GMP took the unusual step of naming Belfield publicly, telling the public he was wanted on suspicion of murder. "Naming someone does bring a lot of information in - but it is not all going to be right," DI Akker explained.
The wanted appeal read: "John Belfield is wanted on suspicion of the murder of Thomas Campbell in Tameside last month." DI Mark Davis, the senior investigating officer in charge of the Thomas Campbell case, said Belfield is 'thought to be a dangerous individual'.
"Do not approach Bellfield and if you see him call 999," the appeal continued. "We are actively seeking his arrest and ask that anyone with information about his whereabouts contacts us immediately.
"He is from the Openshaw area of the city and is believed to also have links to Lancashire, but could be anywhere in the country. Anyone who knows Bellfield, and may be withholding information, is reminded that assisting a suspect can lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years."
Despite this very public appeal and the stark warning to anyone harbouring him, Belfield has not been apprehended. Intelligence in the months following the killing indicated that Belfield was still in the country.
“Through new lines of enquiry, we strongly believe that Belfield is still in the UK and may be being assisted by someone," DI Davis said. But by the time the trial came around in January, that position had changed.
"John Belfield is not in this court room because he fled the country shortly after the attack," prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC told jurors at the murder trial. "Justice has not yet caught up with him."
Belfield was named on the indictment, the charge sheet which is read to jurors, as being accused of murder and of being part of a conspiracy to rob Mr Campbell. He will likely have been following the trial of his alleged co-conspirators with interest from afar.
But the alleged murder is not the only legal issue in his purview. The trial was told that GMP intelligence suggests Belfield is 'heavily concerned in the large-scale supply of class A drugs'.
"He is currently circulated as wanted for a conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, relating to the alleged drug dealing activity of an organised crime group based in the Manchester area," jurors were told. With the help of the National Crime Agency, often dubbed the UK's version of the FBI, GMP had a recent success in returning one of its most wanted fugitives back to their home city to face justice.
Almost four-and-a-half years after being involved in a gangland shooting in Tameside, 28-year-old Callum Halpin was dragged back from Portugal and earlier this month was ordered to serve at least 30 years for murder. Detectives are hoping for a similar outcome, and will continue to work to track Belfield and put him before a court. Next time, they will want a jury to see his face, rather than just hear his name.
On Monday, Coleen Campbell, 38, of Bamford Street, Clayton, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Stephen Cleworth, 38, of Charles Street, Heywood, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Reece Steven, 29, of Poplar Street, Middleton, was found guilty of murder. They will be sentenced on Wednesday.
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