Latest news with #torture
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Must have bled everywhere': 'Mastermind' behind murder of man who was 'tortured to death' in his own home joked about killing in series of text messages
The 'mastermind' of the brutal killing of a man tied up with extra strength duct tape and tortured to death in his own home joked about how the victim 'must have bled everywhere', a court heard today. John Belfield, 31, 'fled' to South America after Thomas Campbell's bloodied body was found, dressed in only a pair of socks, leaving his alleged 'right-hand man' to stand trial for murdering the 38-year-old, a jury has been told. After being extradited from the former Dutch colony of Suriname, Belfield is now standing trial over the 'harrowing and violent assault' by a gang of three men in July 2022. Today jurors heard messages which Reece Steven sent Belfield - alleged to be the ringleader of the plot - from behind bars during the first trial, in which he was convicted of murder. In an exchange about Campbell's injuries, Steven wrote: 'Tommy crumble. Dripping in tom juice everywhere.' Belfield replied: 'Must have bled everywhere.' Steven: 'I didn't say blood mate. I said juice, U're crazy, bro.' Belfield: 'Tom juice.' Steven: 'A little bit of Tommy ketchup.' Belfield: 'All the lights on but no one at home. Actually, the lights have been smashed out of him.' Steven: 'He ran out of sauce. Empty bottle. No lid on.' Belfield: 'He didn't believe the team.' Steven: 'He's just crum now. In the graveyard.' In other messages Belfield wrote that the police 'know I'm the one in charge' but had 'next to f***-all on me' He also wrote: 'Got a chance of getting away with it.' The court was told that Steven also sent Belfield a short video with the title: 'Everyone is a gangster until a real gangster arrives.' Prosecutors allege that Belfield was seeking 'items of value' from Mr Campbell's home in Mossley, Greater Manchester. Mr Campbell was also in a relationship with Belfield's ex-girlfriend and the alleged killer displayed 'hostility' towards the pair as a result, jurors at Manchester Crown Court have been told. His body was discovered by shocked neighbours the following morning after they noticed his front door had been left open and saw blood in the hallway. Extra strength duct tape had been wound 'multiple times' around his wrists from a roll bought from a B&Q store in nearby Oldham. A 2023 trial heard that his ex-wife Coleen Campbell shared crucial details about her former husband's movements - including information passed on by their children - with Belfield. She was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. Belfield - alleged to have been the 'driving force' behind the killing - denies being at the scene and has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob. The court heard yesterday that shortly after the murder, Colleen Campbell visited a psychic who said her ex-husband 'had come through' from beyond the grave. She subsequently told Mr Campbell's mother Lynn that facial injuries inflicted on Campbell had been done 'so other girls would not look at him'. The court heard that Lynn Campbell responded by saying 'shut up, Colleen' because she did not want to know about the injuries caused to her son. In further messages exchanged with Steven while he was in Suriname, jurors were told that Belfield asked for details from the first trial about the prosecution evidence. He said in one message to another recipient: 'Just looking like what it is going to be to like for me. 'If I have an alibi, I cannot get found guilty. 'There is no evidence. I could have just been naive.' He urged another unknown recipient to 'check if they have got warrants for the phones because if they haven't, then they cannot be used'. One message from a sender known only as James referred to the killers as 'the Lord's justice men serving up death in the name of the Lord'. The message added: 'Tom was sentenced to death in the name of Jesus. Amen.' Belfield told another recipient: 'If the evidence is not strong enough against them, they cannot use it against me. 'The trouble is getting a not guilty. Got a chance of getting away with it.' Belfield told one recipient called Pacheco that the police had no evidence to implicate him. He said: 'We did not use a blowtorch. We used hot liquid in a flask to burn him.' He added: 'Funny, innit. Police know I'm the one in charge but they know there is next to f*** all on me. 'I don't even put the tracker on. 'They have no evidence to back up what they are saying. Just some story books.' The jury heard that Steven told Belfield: 'I reckon you could squeeze a manslaughter. Accidents happen, bro.' He added in a voice note: 'If you put all the cuts on his face aside and the burns that was off whatever. 'He's got a f****** wound to the arm what got tarted up and a few bangs to the head. 'And he was f****** breathing when they called 999. The court has heard the 'horrific' killing was the result of 'very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals' who used a tracking device placed on Mr Campbell's car and carried out reconnaissance on his home in the days before the assault. At the 2023 trial Reece Steven was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob. Stephen Cleworth, from Heywood, who acted as a driver, was convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. He was responsible for planting the tracker on Mr Campbell's vehicle and assisting with surveillance although he was not present during the murder. The prosecution case is that Steven, Belfield and a third unknown man were all present when Mr Campbell was tortured to death. Jurors have been told that Belfield's defence is that he had heard false rumours of his involvement in the killing and 'panicked and fled' for fear of a revenge attack. Belfield, of no fixed address, denies murder and conspiracy to rob. The trial continues.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Man 'tortured to death' in his own home had wrists bound with 'extra strength' duct tape bought from B&Q, court hears
Extra strength duct tape used in the torture and murder of a man whose near-naked body was found in his own home had been bought from B&Q two days before the attack, a court heard today. The blood-stained silver tape was wound 'multiple times' around the wrists of Thomas Campbell, 38, who was found wearing only socks in the hallway of his home in July 2022. The jury at Manchester Crown Court has been told that Campbell was tortured to death in a brutal attack in Mossley, Greater Manchester. Experts identified the duct tape as probably being from a single roll of extra strength Gorilla adhesive tape which had been bought two days before from a B&Q store in nearby Oldham, they were told. Mr Campbell's body was discovered by shocked neighbours the morning after he was allegedly subjected to a 'harrowing and violent assault' by a gang of three men. John Belfield, 31, is accused of being the ringleader behind the plot. Prosecutors allege he was seeking 'items of value' from Mr Campbell's home. Mr Campbell was also in a relationship with Belfield's ex-girlfriend and the alleged killer displayed 'hostility' towards the pair, jurors have been told. Mr Campbell's ex-wife Coleen is one of three people to have been convicted in connection with his following an earlier trial, the court has heard. Belfield denies being at the scene and has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob. Another attacker, Reece Steven, has already been convicted of murder, while the third man involved has never been identified. Police later discovered Mr Campbell's burnt-out possessions beside a nearby canal tow path, the court heard today. A police diver found his burnt mobile phone in the canal. A neighbour who lives opposite Mr Campbell said the victim had only moved in between two to four weeks of his death. Lee Barraclough said he had returned from a Sunday morning bike ride and was told by partner Isabella Kaczmarek that Mr Campbell's front door was open and she thought she could see blood. Mr Barraclough said: 'I walked over to the house and I could clearly see blood in the hallway. 'I walked up and I could see a male body slumped on the floor with blood everywhere. 'It was in a weird and unnatural position and I knew instinctively that he was dead.' The court heard from a scenes of crime team that the house had been 'ransacked', with drawers overturned and bloodstains on the walls and carpets leading up the stairs. Upstairs rooms including a child's bedroom had also been ransacked and there was a large blood stain next to a child's bed. The court has heard the 'horrific' killing was the result of 'very careful planning by a team of highly organised criminals' who used a tracking device placed on Mr Campbell's car and carried out reconnaissance on his home in the days before the assault. Nicholas de la Poer KC, prosecuting, told the jury Belfield had a personal motive for targeting Mr Campbell. These allegedly include a desire to steal 'items of value' and jealousy over a relationship between the victim and Belfield's ex-girlfriend. A 2023 trial heard that Coleen Campbell shared crucial details about her former husband's movements - including information passed on by their children - with Belfield. She was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. Stephen Cleworth, from Heywood, who acted as a driver, was also convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. He was responsible for planting the tracker on Mr Campbell's vehicle and assisting with surveillance although he was not present during the murder. Reece Steven, described by prosecutors as Belfield's 'right-hand man', was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob following the same trial. Following the killing Belfield left the UK, jurors have been told, and was arrested in the South American country of Suriname in 2023. Forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb, who carried out the post-mortem examination on Mr Campbell's body, told the court of the chilling scene. The expert said Mr Campbell had sustained injuries consistent with 'restraint' and 'asphyxia', and had suffered a 'sustained blunt sharp force physical assault' to the head and neck. Jurors also heard Mr Campbell had suffered burn injuries to his thigh and buttocks, believed to have been caused by 'a hot liquid such as hot water'. A large stab wound to his upper arm had bled heavily, and a makeshift tourniquet had been found on the limb. Dr Lumb concluded that the medical cause of death was a combination of multiple sharp force injuries, blunt force head injuries, and pressure to the neck. Belfield, of no fixed address, continues to deny murder and conspiracy to rob. The trial continues.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
The vile reason a convicted rapist whose brutal torture of a 22-year-old woman left her permanently disfigured is appealing his SEVEN life sentences
A man who raped and tortured a woman for weeks has appealed his multiple life sentences, claiming he was not credited for his efforts to stop the victim from dying. Nicholas John Crilley was handed seven life sentences by a Queensland judge in 2020 after pleading guilty to 62 offences including grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, torture and 18 counts of rape. Crilley's treatment of the woman, aged 22 at the time, in Brisbane in June 2017 left her permanently disfigured. He was arrested eight days after his offences following a dramatic pursuit through the city, during which he rammed police vehicles and carjacked an elderly woman. All three justices of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday said they had concerns about whether Crilley had genuine remorse. 'Even when he rings the ambulance, he does not say this is someone who for 23 days has been burned and abused and starved ... and she is likely to die,' Justice Thomas Bradley said. 'He said she had taken a turn for the worse and he did not know what was wrong ... to call that saving her life is a big stretch.' Justice David Boddice said there were arguments for Crilley wanting his victim to survive so she could suffer more. 'There are actual statements made by him in the course of it that he wanted to disfigure her so she was not attractive to other men,' he said. 'This was about maiming her for later in life.' Justice Bradley said Crilley's letter to the sentencing judge expressing remorse was 'disturbing' and referred to himself 28 times. Court of Appeal President Debra Mullins said the letter suggested Crilley had a personality disorder. 'A fair reading of the letter is that it is self-centred,' Justice Mullins said. Defence barrister Craig Eberhardt told the justices that his client's offences were 'horrendous' and showed 'incredible cruelty'. 'Our submissions do not change the character of the offending. We accept entirely that this remains in the worst category of this type,' he said. 'If (Crilley) had not called an ambulance, therefore saving her life, if he had not pleaded guilty and had cross-examined (the victim) at trial, if he was not remorseful, there would not be a complaint about the sentence imposed.' The justices heard Crilley acted against his own interests by not letting the victim die, which would have made it difficult to later convict him on multiple counts. Crown prosecutor Michael Lehane said there was evidence that Crilley thought the victim was so injured she would never be able to testify against him. 'She had not been conscious for three days. His thought was she could not speak,' he said. 'There was no consideration that she would be a critical prosecution witness.' Mr Lehane said the sentencing judge had considered Crilley's guilty plea. 'The nature of the offending simply overwhelmed these particular mitigating features and warranted life imprisonment,' he said. The justices reserved their judgment, which will be handed down at an undetermined date. Justice Mullins thanked Mr Eberhardt and Crilley's legal team. 'It's important that counsel take briefs that are very difficult matters, as this one was,' she said. Lifeline 13 11 14
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC viewers left 'in tears and screaming at the TV' after documentary about 'absurdly cruel' reality show that saw contestant stripped naked, starved and locked up alone for a YEAR
BBC viewers were left 'in tears and screaming at the TV' after a documentary about an 'absurdly cruel' reality show which saw a contestant stripped naked, starved and locked up alone for a year. Storyville: The Contestant, which hit BBC iPlayer last night, tells the incredible story of 1998 Japanese show Susunu!Denpa Shonen, or Do Not Proceed, Crazy Youth. Aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, then 22, was locked up, asked to strip naked and tasked with entering mail-in magazine competitions until he won one million yen (around £6,000). The man, who auditioned for the programme, was told he could leave at any time - but he decided to persist to complete the challenge, staying for a total of 15 months. He thought the footage would be aired on TV at a later date - but what he did not know was it was actually being broadcast live to around 17million people per week. The documentary, originally created in 2023, has shocked BBC viewers since hitting its on-demand platform last night, who took to X to express their horror. The man (pictured in the documentary), who auditioned for the programme, was told he could leave at any time - but he decided to persist to complete the challenge, staying for a total of 15 months One said: 'Watching The Contestant and that producer should be in prison for torture and war crimes that violate the UN.' The commenter mentioned the man's nickname Nasubi, Japanese for 'aubergine', a cartoon image of which was used by producers to cover his genitals on the show. They continued: 'What he did to Nasubi is absurdly cruel and the entire industry of reality television should be burned to the ground.' Another commented: 'I don't think I've ever yelled, "That's so damn unethical", as much as I have while watching The Contestant.' Someone else said: 'The Contestant was gut wrenching. Nasubi is such a sweet genuine soul. I was in tears by the end! 'I hope they compensated him even outside of the fundraising they did. One year and three months of film and book sales. 'Pay that man. Producer was wrong as hell for that.' One person added: 'If it sounds like The Truman Show, that's because it basically is. The documentary, originally created in 2023, has shocked BBC viewers since hitting its on-demand platform last night, who took to X to express their horror 'They film Nasubi's life for over a year, living in ridiculously cramped conditions and winning very little until late into the game. 'His conditions are worse than being a prisoner in jail. It's completely inhumane.' Another echoed this sentiment: 'The producer on The Contestant should be in jail.' Someone else praised Nasubi's resilience: 'The Contestant is a hard watch but Nasubi is one of the most beautiful people in the world. Wow.' Another commenter weighed in: 'This is all so very bizarre! I can't believe people watched this poor guy on TV.' Not only did he have to accrue prize money from the magazine competitions, he had to win everything he needed to survive too - including food, clothing and toilet roll. He ate undignified meals such as 5kg of uncooked rice, before he was forced to resort to eating wet dog food on day 80. Nasubi was stripped of all his belongings and clothes and left alone with nothing but stacks of magazines, postcards, running water, electricity and heating - without ever signing a contract. His mental state got to the point that he admitted he wished for death - but he tried to stay sane by writing diaries, dancing and playing games. The live stream of his endeavours was one segment, dubbed A Life In Prizes, of the larger programme, which saw lots of ordinary people take on crazy tasks. In an interview with The Sun, he said: 'The loneliness affected me much more than not being able to eat or not having clothes. 'There were so many moments where I thought it probably would be better to die now than keep going. 'The toughest moment was when the rice ran out and I needed to face up to eating dog food. I didn't want to eat it but there was no alternative.' Nasubi admitted that he was in 'such emotional turmoil that I couldn't sleep' and at points even hallucinated to the extent he believed he had been 'abducted by aliens'. In his diaries, he wrote: 'I don't have enough nutrition going to my brain. Being driven to the edge has brought out a madness in me.' When he finally reached the number of winnings needed, Nasubi was eventually freed - but producers soon conned him into returning to the hellish experience. He was flown to what he thought was a celebratory trip to Korea - where the producers worked for three hours to convince him to go through the process again. Nasubi pleaded: 'I thought my life was over. So many times I wanted to die.' He ended up competing for several more weeks, taking him to 434 days in isolation. The contestant then returned to Japan, where he entered another apartment and stripped naked, thinking he was about to be subjected to the same turmoil again. But the walls then collapsed to reveal a TV studio with a live audience of fans, with him becoming aware for the first time that his ordeal had been seen by millions. He had become an icon during his long ordeal, with the Truman Show-esque programme poking fun at him with slapstick noises and suggestive censoring. 'Without his knowledge or consent', as the BBC iPlayer synopsis explains, 'Nasubi became the most famous television personality in Japan'. As well as the record-breaking viewing figures, his diaries from inside also became a bestseller. But Nasubi was not ready to meet his new fans and reportedly needed six months to rehabilitate back into normal life. The lack of interaction and food had left his speech slow and body malnourished, while he struggled to make eye contact or talk to other people. He admitted: 'After A Life In Prizes, I lost my faith in humanity. I had a void in my heart, like a black hole. 'My loneliness could only be filled by those around me. It was their support and affection that filled that void. 'A human's love or that kind of spirit of helping each other - that's what it's all about.' The documentary about it combines clips from the show with never-before-seen footage, alongside interviews with Nasubi, his family and the programme's producer. The synopsis continues: 'This is the incredible story of how one man became a national phenomenon that presaged the global rise of reality TV.' Nasubi has recently spoken out about his experience 25 years on, telling Time he is trying to move forward despite still feeling 'hatred' for the show's producer. He said: 'I've realised that I cannot change the past but by changing how I think about who I am today I can always change the future. 'When you put energy into other people rather than just focussing on yourself, you become stronger than you could ever imagine.' Fortunately, Nasubi has managed to turn the negatives of his time on the series into positives. The contestant completed his goal of climbing Mount Everest in 2016, saying the resilience he gained from reality TV had come good for him in the climb. And the fame he garnered as a result of the show has enabled him to get regular guest appearances on a range of thankfully less traumatic panel and game shows. Taking part in a Reddit Ask Me Anything last year, Nasubi answered questions from curious fans about his traumatic experience. He explained the door had been unlocked during his time in the apartment but his mental state 'degraded' to the point he decided to stay. The contestant said: 'I was not offered a contract. I won an audition, and wanted to participate and complete the challenge. 'The option was "Do you want to do it?" and I said, "Yes". 'So, I was not forced to do it, I was not kidnapped. I was taken to a secret location and blindfolded but I wasn't taken against my will. I decided to participate.' Nasubi went on: 'It's hard to explain, but I think that the people who have experienced being locked in confinement, and felt what it's like to be trapped in those walls, will understand why one chooses to stay instead of leave. 'My mental state was degrading... instead of changing the environment, it felt safer to stay in the same situation, even though it was uncomfortable.' He added: 'I didn't think that the competition would last that long. The door wasn't locked, but I was determined to stay with it until the end. 'You could say it was Yamato Spirit, or Japanese spirt, I would not quit.' When asked if he had known he would be televised and what money he made from the show, Nasubi explained: 'Of course I didn't know it was being broadcasted. 'Back in the early days of reality TV in Japan, they didn't give contracts to participants, it was an entirely new genre of TV. The contestant completed his goal of climbing Mount Everest in 2016, saying the resilience he gained from reality TV had come good for him in the climb 'And my manager did not protect me in the same way that TV stars are protected now. 'For compensation, I made ten million yen for one year and three months and that includes the money from the sale of my diaries from the show.' He added: 'I didn't receive any kindness or support from the crew. 'And since I didn't know the show was being broadcast to an audience, I didn't have any connection to the audience to receive that support. 'After the show was over though, the two emcees that were on [the programme], they encouraged me by saying that I did a good job, and I felt like they empathised with me and my situation on the show.' Speaking about what life was like once he was released, he admitted: 'For a while it was hard to interact with people. 'But I did realise that humans cannot live alone, so I did my best to reconnect with people.' He also spoke about the parallels of his ordeal to the award-winning film The Truman Show, which was released the same year A Life of Prizes aired. He added: 'I didn't receive any kindness or support from the crew' He said: 'Yes, I saw the film. The only person who really truly understands the feeling of what Truman went through is me. It felt like it was my story. 'His life was much easier than what I had but it was a similar situation that everyone was watching both Truman and me and we had no idea we were being observed.' Nasubi added: 'I am still recognised on the street, even 25 years later. I was even recognised in London and when I went to Stonehenge in 2018! 'There were a bunch of Japanese tourists who couldn't believe I was there. I think they were more excited to take photos with me than Stonehenge.' Despite his awful experience, Nasubi said he had no desire to take revenge or legal action and explained he is now working with charities to help others. He wrote: 'I never thought of solving the problem with violence. Because violence doesn't solve anything. 'But then, would I want to sue them and punish them by law? The answer would be no, because that would make some people sad and injured, and that was not what I wanted to do. Even if I get hurt, I want to protect people around me. 'Instead of revenge, I would like to use that energy for something more positive, like helping people.' He went on: 'I am working with charity organisations in Fukushima and across Japan. 'I enjoy connecting with people in person and helping bring smiles to those in Fukushima, and the northeast area of Japan.' He even shows leniency towards 'the one who sent me to the hell that I experienced': 'After a long time, Tsuchiya, the producer, apologised to me. 'He said he wanted to do something for me and I think that his participation in the documentary shows he feels remorse.' The Contestant is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Cairns kidnapping accused threatened teen with gel blaster, court hears
A Far North Queensland man has been denied bail for his alleged role in a Cairns teenager's two-day kidnapping and torture ordeal. Police allege the 19-year-old woman was kidnapped on Sheridan Street, Cairns, on Thursday, then threatened with a replica gun and tortured at multiple properties before police found her on Sunday. Three people — 34-year-old Kaidii Ephraums, 22-year-old Waylan Satrick and 23-year-old Semias Donnelly — have been charged with offences including deprivation of liberty and common assault. Cairns Magistrates Court today heard one of the properties was the home of Mr Donnelly, who appeared via videolink from the Cairns Watchhouse. During his bail application, the court heard that Mr Donnelly allegedly threatened the victim with a gel blaster, a type of replica gun. His lawyer, Jacqui O'Reilly, said her client disputed the charges and was "only involved for a short time" while the victim was at his house and he didn't participate in the initial abduction. She also told the court the victim was fed and allowed to shower while at Mr Donnelly's residence. The prosecution opposed bail, telling the court Mr Donnelly was an active participant, given the victim was allegedly blindfolded and bloodied when she was at his home and there was an unacceptable risk he would try to contact her if released. Magistrate Terrence Browne told the court Mr Donnelly had also participated in forcing the teenager to write a "demeaning" apology to his co-accused, Ms Ephraums. Magistrate Brown denied Mr Donnelly bail, saying the allegation he menaced the teenager with a replica firearm was "very serious" and that the Crown case against him was "strong". Mr Donnelly was remanded in custody until August 5. The case against co-accused Mr Satrick, was also mentioned in court today and he was remanded in custody until September 17. Ms Ephraums appeared in court on Monday and was remanded in custody until August.
