The final chilling screams of a dad who was allegedly bundled into his home by three men before being tortured to death were caught on CCTV. Thomas Campbell, 38 was ambushed and attacked when he arrived outside his property in Mossley, Tameside, Bolton Crown Court heard.
The jury was shown the distressful CCTV footage where his screams could be heard while he was being assaulted at his front door before he was carried into his home to be murdered. The court heard that over the next two hours the dad suffered multiple 'injuries and 'indignities' during a brutal two hour ordeal on July 2 last year, the Mirror reports.
His ex-wife Coleen Campbell, 38 is one of three defendants on trial for his murder along with Stephen Cleworth, 38 and Reece Steven, 29. The accused trio have all pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob.
The court heard that at 11:06pm Mr Campbell went to unlock his front door but was approached by three men. Mr Campbell could be heard 'screaming' during a struggle which ended with him on the ground. Around 40 seconds later, Mr Campbell was carried inside the house to his torturous death and the door was shut over.
Nicholas de la Poer KC, prosecuting, said: "The speed and savagery of the initial attack on Thomas Campbell is highly significant. The way it was carried out demonstrates this was a carefully planned, practised, ruthless, armed assault.
"It demonstrates 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, so they outnumbered and overwhelmed him."
The attackers left the property at 1am and Mr Campbell's body was found by neighbours the following morning. John Belfield, 28 who is believed to be the 'mastermind' of the attack is not before the court after he fled from the country.
He is alleged to have plotted to rob Mr Campbell at his home after seeing an online article about him and his ex-wife's 'wealthy lifestyle' published by the Manchester Evening News. Another of Mr Belfield's alleged motives is thought to be 'hostility' towards Mr Campbell because he was in a new relationship with Mr Belfield's ex partner.
However, jurors heard that Mr Belfield and Ms Campbell were 'apparent stranger's up until a week before Mr Campbell's death. The jury heard that Mr Belfield had messaged Ms Campbell on Instagram and the pair had exchanged 35 phone calls and 68 messages.
They also met up on June 29 and spent half an hour in a car together, the court was told. A tracking advice was allegedly attached to Mr Campbell's car by Mr Cleworth on June 27 while he was picking his daughter up from school.
Prosecutors claim that Mr Campbell's alleged killers had been 'lying in wait for him' for two nights prior to the attack but he 'unknowingly evaded his pursuers' after taking his dog out for a walk. On the sixth day of the trial, jurors were told that Mr Belfield had tried to get in touch with Mr Cleworth on the day Mr Campbell was allegedly murdered but was unsuccessful.
After his messages went unanswered, Mr Belfield texted him saying: "Yoooo this is what I mean about you mate, you can't even work with you bro." The jury heard that Mr Cleworth didn't reply was because he was 'on a bender' at a 'swinger's club' in Rochdale.
Jurors were told Mr Belfield contacted another man, in an Instagram message which read: "Can you get down my driver is f****** about. On a bender."
The pair agreed to meet at 5pm at the Miller and Carter steakhouse in Wilmslow but the man was 'either unable or unwilling' to be involved. During the meeting, Mr Steven allegedly texted Mr Cleworth to say: "Make sure you're ready for 8 mate. We're on."
Mr Belfield and Mr Steven were spotted on CCTV just after 9pm at Flavour Factory in Failsworth. Two minutes later, Mr Belfield phoned Ms Campbell and had a 25 minute long conversation with her, the court heard.
While the pair were on the phone, Mr Campbell arrived at Ms Campbell's home in Clayton to see his children before he arrived home later that night after 11pm. Jurors were told that a fourth defendant also on trial, Karl Murphy, 50 allegedly drove Mr Belfield, Mr Steven and an unknown third man to Mr Campbell's home in Riverside, Mossley.
Coleen Campbell, Stephen Cleworth, Reece Steven, pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob. Karl Murphy, of Lancaster Road, Denton, denies participating in the activities of an organised crime group as the trial continues.
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