John Belfield, a drug dealer convicted of torturing his love rival Thomas Campbell to death, was arrested at Manchester Airport after being deported back to the UK. Belfield had been on the run for seven months, fleeing via multiple countries using a false passport following the murder on July 2, 2022.
Police bodycam footage shows Belfield being handcuffed and led off a plane on March 9, 2024, after his deportation from the Netherlands. Belfield denied involvement in the attack, but he was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob Campbell on July 3, 2025.
Campbell was brutally tortured for over two hours, suffering 61 injuries consistent with restraint, blunt and sharp force trauma, burns from hot liquid, and a severe stab wound. The court heard that Campbell’s ex-wife, Coleen Campbell, provided information that facilitated the attack and was convicted of manslaughter.
Belfield had recruited accomplices Reece Steven and Stephen Cleworth, who were also convicted—Steven of murder and Cleworth of manslaughter. The third attacker remains unidentified and wanted by police.
Judge Mr Justice Garnham sentenced Belfield to life imprisonment with a minimum term of over 34 years, condemning the brutal nature of the crime and Belfield’s leading role in the attack.
