'Mastermind called victim's ex-wife before attack' - trial

THE ex-wife of a man 'tortured to death' in his own home was seen on camera taking a phone call from the alleged 'mastermind' of the fatal attack hours before it occurred, jurors head.

- BY ANDREW BARDSLEY

Coleen Campbell spoke with John Belfield for more than 25 minutes on the evening her former spouse, 38-year-old Thomas Campbell, was murdered, Manchester Crown Court was told.

She moved away from others in the property to take the call, the jury was told.

CCTV footage of Campbell on the phone at her home in Clayton, east Manchester, was played as the second week of John Belfield’s murder trial began. Mr Belfield, 31, is accused of being the 'mastermind' of a plot to rob Mr Campbell. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiring to rob him.

Mr Campbell was bundled into his home about two hours after the phone call by three attackers, before being stabbed, strangled and 'tortured to death."CCTV shows that, she walked away out of her address and onto the street to take this call,” prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC said of the footage, during his opening speech last week.