Moment murderer John Belfield taken off plane and arrested

Police footage has shown the moment a drug dealer who tortured and murdered a love rival was taken off a plane at Manchester Airport as he arrived back in the UK from South America and arrested.

John Belfield, 31, was one of a four-strong gang who killed Thomas Campbell in Tameside in July 2022 and he went on the run to Brazil after the murder.

Mr Campbell, 38, had been in a relationship with Belfield’s former partner, Demi Lee-Driver.

Belfield was given a life sentence at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, and ordered to spend a minimum of 34 years and 261 days in prison.

Belfield fled Manchester the day after the “horrific” killing, going first to North Wales before catching a ferry to Ireland, Greater Manchester Police said.

He then travelled to Amsterdam, France, Spain and then to Brazil before arriving in Suriname, the former Dutch colony on the north eastern coast of South America.

His trip home though was far simpler.

Just over a year after the murder he was arrested in Suriname for drug offences and had served a year’s sentence there before he was returned to Manchester Airport.

There were cries of “rot in hell” from the public gallery at Manchester Crown Court as Belfield was sentenced.

In 2022, Belfield had put a tracker on Mr Campbell’s car to find out where he lived.

On 2 July he lay in wait for him to come home before inflicting hours of torturous violence on him.

The gang ambushed him at his front door, assaulted him, and dragged him inside.

For two hours Mr Campbell was stabbed, strangled and had hot liquid poured on his genitals, the trial heard.

A post mortem examination showed he suffered more than 61 injuries.

After Mr Campbell was “tortured to death”, Det Sgt Paul Davies said Belfield “cowardly went on the run”.

When his associates went on trial in 2023, he said Belfield sent messages from abroad “looking to influence proceedings”.

Belfield showed “complete disregard for the victim and a true lack of remorse, which is testament to his character,” Det Sgt Davies added.

During the murder inquiry, detectives analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV and nearly 3,000 exhibits, spoke to more than 200 witnesses and arrested 19 people, the force said.

Belfield’s associates, Reece Steven, 29, of Middleton, Steven Cleworth, 38, of Heywood, and Mr Campbell’s ex-wife Coleen Campbell, 38, of Manchester, were also jailed over Mr Campbell’s death.

Mr Campbell’s father, Terry Campbell said in his victim impact statement there were “no words” to describe his family’s loss.

“We all live with a broken heart,” he added.