John Belfield jailed after torturing love rival to death as family scream 'rot in hell'
A twisted drug dealer who tortured his love rival to death for two gruelling hours has been sentenced to life in prison amid screams of "rot in hell".
Following the verdict at Manchester Crown Court, John Belfield, 31, was met with screams as he was led from the dock. He hired a team to help him kill Thomas Campbell after forming a relationship with Demi-Lee Driver, his killer's ex-partner, reports the Mirror.
Belfield had previously denied being one of three people who approached Campbell outside of his home in Mossley, Tameside on July 2, 2022. The 38-year-old was discovered tied up with duct tape on his ankles.
Campbell was found with 61 injuries which indicated "restraint" and "asphyxia". He was stabbed and strangled after being taken inside of the property. The group had also covered his genitals in hot liquid.
Coleen Campbell, his ex-wife, had fed her former spouse's killers vital information about his whereabouts and was found guilty of manslaughter following a trial in 2023.
Reece Steven, who Belfield recruited into the crime, was found guilty of murder. Stephen Cleworth, who Belfield also recruited and planted a tracking device on Campbell's car, was convicted of manslaughter. All were jailed in 2023, reports Manchester Evening News.
The third attacker remains unknown and is wanted by police.
Belfield evaded police and fled the country two days after the murder. He eventually holed up in Suriname, a former Dutch colony north of Brazil, before he was arrested there in March 2023 and eventually flown back to Manchester a year later. On Thursday July 3, he was found guilty on both counts by jurors, who were unanimous.
Belfield got a minimum term of 34 years and 261 days, after having been convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob. Mr Justice Graham, who sentenced John Belfield, described the injuries as nothing short but "horrendous". He said he had no doubt that Belfield "took pleasure in his pain".
The judge added: "Thomas Campbell was no saint. Like you, he was involved in the sale and distribution of drugs. He was also a human being. The manner of his death was horrific. His family and friends have had to listen to the description of his injuries.
"His father has described his family's prolific grief - it's plain he was greatly loved. I find you, John Belfield, were the leading role in the conspiracy to rob and the attack itself. This gang of thugs, with which you were the leader, attacked Mr Campbell and stole from him the drugs you believed he had. No one knows what exactly happened in Riverside. It cannot be said who delivered the blows with knives, fists or boots.'
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