A senior detective called to the scene of Thomas Campbell's murder described what he saw as being 'like something from a horror film', as three convicted killers faced justice. Mr Campbell, 38, was subjected to two hours of 'unimaginable' pain as he was tortured to death in his own home.
Blood covered the walls of his smart new build home in Mossley, Tameside, which was turned into a house of horrors. Suffering 61 separate injuries, including being stabbed, punched, kicked and strangled, dad-of-two Mr Campbell then had boiling water poured on his buttocks.
He was discovered the following morning, naked apart from a pair of socks, lay in his hallway having died hours earlier. "I've been in the police for 20 years and I've never been to a scene like that ever before," Detective Sergeant Paul Davies of GMP told the Manchester Evening News.
READ MORE: How Thomas Campbell was betrayed by a woman who claimed to love him
"Just seeing the state of it, it was like something from a horror film."
Detective Inspector Mark Davis, the senior investigating officer in the case, added: "It was a horrendous scene. Despite us being inside that scene, in suits in the summer for over two weeks, we didn't find any forensic evidence linking the suspects to the scene, because they cleaned up after themselves." Instead, police built up a compelling case of circumstantial evidence including CCTV footage and phone data which ended up convicting three people for their roles in the killing.
The detectives spoke out after the defendants faced justice at Bolton Crown Court for the killing of Mr Campbell, a drug dealer whose home was ransacked while he was brutally attacked. They also revealed that two Rolex watches belonging to Mr Campbell remain missing following his death.
Coleen Campbell, Mr Campbell's former wife of 10 years, plotted with others to have her ex robbed of cash, drugs or valuables. On Wednesday she was jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of manslaughter. She provided key intelligence to the team of attackers who ambushed Mr Campbell, relating to his whereabouts and movements.
Asked what he believed Ms Campbell's motive was, DS Davies said: "Jealousy. Simple as that, I think, pure jealousy." At the time of his death, Mr Campbell was in a relationship with the ex-girlfriend of John Belfield, who is alleged to have been the 'mastermind' of the attack.
Mr and Mrs Campbell had divorced in 2021 after their relationship became 'toxic', and she accused him of having an affair with her best friend. "She (Coleen Campbell) didn't want him (Thomas Campbell), but no-one else could have him," DI Davies added.
"She knew that Belfield went out with Tom's current partner. The two of them together, I think there was jealousy on his part as well, and that where we've ended up where we are, purely because of that."
DI Davis said the end of the trial does not mean the end of the investigation. Only one of the three men who attacked Mr Campbell has been brought before a court.
Reece Steven, 29, was convicted of murder after he was found to have been one of the three attackers. He was handed a life sentence, to serve a minimum of 37 years. Prosecutors allege the second man was 28-year-old Belfield, who is on the run.
Police say the identity of the third man remains unknown. "We have still got two offenders that we know that were there the night that Tom was killed," DI Davis said. "We will keep going until we identify and bring those people to justice.
"We are working through many lines of enquiry to try and identify the other person that was present." Stephen Cleworth, 38, was the third defendant convicted at the trial and was found guilty of manslaughter. He was not at the scene of the killing, as he was on a 'bender' at a swingers club, but played a key part in preparations leading up to the killing including placing a tracking device on Mr Campbell's van. He was sentenced to life, to serve a minimum of 12 years.
Coleen Campbell, of Bamford Street, Clayton, Steven, of Poplar Street, Middleton, and Cleworth, of Charles Street, Heywood, were all also convicted of conspiracy to rob.
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