Brothers Convicted in 1984 Cold Case Murder of Anthony Littler
Decades-old killing of 45-year-old in East Finchley finally sees justice after brother's confession.
Image: Matt Weston / AI
Carla Rooney
Two brothers, Michael Stewart and Anthony Stewart, have received convictions for the 1984 murder of Anthony Littler, a case that remained unsolved for nearly three decades.
The attack, occurring on May 1, 1984, saw the defendants, then aged 15 and 18, ambush and kill Littler, 45, with a baseball bat-type weapon as he walked home from East Finchley Tube station.
Police found no suspects during the original 1984 investigation into the East Finchley murder, leaving the case cold for decades.
A younger brother of the defendants reported them 29 years later, prompting the reopening of the cold case and a renewed police effort.
A covert police operation, employing listening devices and undercover officers, resolved the murder, piecing together events from four decades prior.
The court heard the brothers targeted lone men they believed to be gay for robbery and violence, a pattern of behavior central to the prosecution's case.
This was not an impulsive attack, I am quite sure your group was lying in wait for a victim, someone to attack and rob.
Mrs Justice Cutts stated, 'This was not an impulsive attack, I am quite sure your group was lying in wait for a victim, someone to attack and rob.'
She sentenced Anthony Stewart, identified as likely delivering the fatal blow, to a minimum term of 15 years in prison.
Michael Stewart, identified as the 'lookout' during the ambush, received a jail term of at least 10 years.
Littler suffered a catastrophic brain injury after being struck with a blunt weapon, an injury that proved immediately fatal.
Patricia McClure, a relative of the victim, stated, 'these murderers have had 42 years of freedom and they picked Anthony at random for fun.'
These murderers have had 42 years of freedom and they picked Anthony at random for fun.
McClure also noted that Anthony Littler wrote to his mother every week without fail.
Jurors heard the Stewart siblings and their friends made a 'hobby' of targeting lone men they believed to be gay, a practice that escalated to murder.
The defense argued that if gay men were targeted, it was because they were less likely to report being robbed, not due to hostility towards their sexuality.
However, Daniel Stewart, the defendants' younger brother, claimed his older brothers confessed to the killing and boasted about being involved in 'queer bashing.'
Daniel Stewart stated Michael Stewart boasted about the killing within days of it happening, and his brother Anthony also spoke about it years later, providing crucial testimony.
An undercover officer, identified as JJ, recorded Michael Stewart saying, 'It was his brother and three of his mates, Michael said. They had been out 'gay bashing', they had cornered a man in an alleyway - and they had smashed him over the head.'
Court testimony based on these recordings indicated Michael pointed the finger at his brother, insisting he had nothing to do with the killing himself.
Michael Stewart admitted his guilt to a girlfriend and showed her where the murder happened, bragging about his actions in 1984.
Despite the mounting evidence, Anthony Stewart maintained he never used the alley where the attack occurred, denying his presence at the scene.
John Price KC stated Anthony Stewart had a previous conviction for racially aggravated assault in 2010.
Price also noted Michael Stewart boasted his record did not reflect his violent behavior, and intimidation of witnesses served as an aggravating factor in the sentencing.