A man accused of murder has told a court he had no intention of attacking a drug dealer who was later found "tortured to death" in his home - and was actually there to find "buried treasure" in a field.
Stephen Cleworth said he had been told that "£100,000 or £200,000 in money or the equivalent in drugs" was buried in a field near Thomas Campbell's home.
Mr Campbell, 38, was found dead at his home after being tortured for two hours, a jury has heard. Mr Campbell's ex-wife Coleen Campbell, 38, Mr Cleworth, also 38, and his friend Reece Steven, 29, are all charged with murdering Mr Campbell and conspiring to rob him, reports the Manchester Evening News. The four have pleaded not guilty.
John Belfield, 28, an associate of Mr Cleworth who is alleged to be "heavily concerned in the large scale supply of class A drugs", is thought to have fled the country and is not on trial at Bolton Crown Court.
He is alleged to have been the mastermind of the attack on Mr Campbell, who was allegedly ambushed at his front door on Saturday, July 2 last year, in Mossley, Tameside.
Mr Campbell's former wife of 10 years is alleged to have given Mr Belfield information on her ex's movements. She admitted doing so but claimed she'd been manipulated by Mr Belfield, and that she never intended any harm to come to her former spouse.
Mr Cleworth said he'd known Mr Belfield for six or seven years and described him as someone that would "come in and out of your life". He said he'd spoken with Mr Belfield about a plot to steal money or drugs.
"He just said there's some guy who's some big drug dealer or something," Mr Cleworth told the jury on the 15th day of the murder trial. "That he has some drugs buried on some field near his house.
"He said that he was getting information. I didn't really ask where at the time. He just said we don't know where he lives but it is definitely on a field near his house."
"Did you expect that if everything went well, you would get some money?," he was asked by his barrister Anesta Weekes KC. "Yeah definitely," the defendant said.
"Basically I was living with my mam, I have just split up with my girlfriend, it seemed like an alright plan. It was like buried treasure or something."
Ms Weekes asked him: "Did he mention hurting, attacking or wounding the man you were going to steal from?" "No, there was no need to was there," Mr Cleworth replied.
"There was no reason to go in his home. No big time drug dealer or on money laundering charges is going to have anything in his house. I wouldn't want him to even know who I am. From what I have seen he is pretty high up in the drugs world.
"I don't want him knowing who I am." He said he didn't know Mr Campbell, but Mr Belfield had told him that he was 'chatting up' his 'bird'.
"He was just trying to romance her a bit, isn't he," Mr Cleworth said. "That's what I would have done. Obviously he is charming her isn't he.
"He said to me he is going to try and sleep with her, saying she was fit and that." Mr Cleworth admitted he placed a tracker on Mr Campbell's car on June 27 while the deceased was picking up his daughter from school.
He said Mr Belfield had provided him with the tracker, and that Mr Belfield also monitored it using a mobile phone. The defendant said the plan was to try and use it to discover where Mr Campbell lived.
Speaking of the 'buried treasure', Mr Cleworth said: "I wouldn't even feel bad if I took that off the field, it's like dirty money isn't it?"
Looking at the jury, he added: "You would have a little nosey, its 100 grand." At around 8pm that day Mr Cleworth said he and Mr Belfield went to Mr Campbell's street to 'have a little look'.
Mr Cleworth said he and Mr Belfield returned to the street on June 29 and spent about three hours searching the field. He said they were looking for 'disturbed ground' to indicate where digging may have taken place recently.
The following day, they returned to the same street. Mr Cleworth claimed he wasn't sure whether Mr Campbell lived on the street as the property looked like a 'family home'.
He said he was in a Vauxhall Combo van being driven by Mr Belfield which was parked in the area, looking out of a 'spy hole' when Mr Campbell returned to check if it was his home. When Mr Campbell returned, after 11pm, instead of going inside he took his dog for a walk, the jury have heard.
The jury heard that Mr Cleworth was 'hiding in the bushes' with two other men. Mr Cleworth said he watched where Mr Campbell was walking as he believed he was checking on his 'stash'. He denied there was any plot to rob or attack Mr Campbell, who died two nights later.
"How he died, it's f****** f***** up s***," Mr Cleworth said. "I can't imagine what they (Mr Campbell's family) are going through.
"It was never about him (Thomas Campbell) or her (Coleen Campbell). My mate has just said there's some money on a field.
"Why would I want to hurt him? It's about digging some money up from a field. That's all it was." Mr Cleworth was repeatedly asked by his lawyer to speak more slowly as he answered questions.
He said: "I was branded a murderer and a robber for seven or eight months. I have been trying to get my words out. F****** hell, it's my chance to say it. I was waiting for months and months for this."
Coleen Campbell, of Bamford Street, Clayton; Stephen Cleworth, of Charles Street, Heywood; and Reece Steven, of Poplar Street, Middleton, have pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob.
A fourth man on trial, Karl Murphy, 50, of Lancaster Road, Denton, is accused of driving Mr Campbell's attackers to the scene before the killing. He denies participating in the activities of an organised crime group. The trial continues.
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