'Torture murder suspect fled to tropics'

JRY TOLD ACCUSED TRIED TO INFLUENCE TRIAL FROM SOUTH AMERICA

- By ANDREW BARDSLEY

ALLEGED criminal mastermind John Belfield panicked and fled the country after hearing rumours that he had been involved in a murder, jurors were told.

Thomas Campbell was found naked in the hallway of his home in Mossley, Tameside, after being tortured to death, Manchester Crown Court has been told.

Mr Belfield, 31, is accused of being behind a plot to rob Mr Campbell.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiring to rob.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Nicholas de la Poer KC told jurors of the likely issues they will have to determine in the trial.

They were told Mr Belfield “agrees with much of the prosecution's case” but denies being present at Mr Campbell's home on the night of the killing, on July 2, 2022, or being part of any conspiracy to rob him.

Jurors have been told Mr Belfield was arrested in Suriname, a tropical country on the north eastern coast of South America, in March 2023.

He was flown back to Manchester Airport a year later.

“His case is he left the country because he heard rumours that he had been involved in Thomas Campbell's death and, fearing he would be the subject of a revenge attack, he panicked and fled,’ Mr de la Poer told jurors.

Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield was seeking ‘items of value’ from Mr Campbell's home.