Two homophobic brothers who made a 'hobby' of attacking men they perceived as gay have been convicted of murder, 42 years after beating a real ale enthusiast to death. Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, were aged 15 and 18 when they attacked Anthony Littler as he walked home in East Finchley, north London, on May 1, 1984.
The Attack
Mr Littler, a 45-year-old civil servant, was struck twice over the head with a blunt weapon. He was found mortally wounded half an hour later, still with his briefcase, £80 cash, and credit cards. Michael Stewart called for an ambulance anonymously minutes after the attack from a phone box but provided insufficient information for emergency services to locate Mr Littler, causing the search to be abandoned after Michael hung up.
A couple, Annalieze and James Hainge, discovered Mr Littler in a pool of his own blood while walking home from work. He suffered 'catastrophic' brain injuries.
The Brothers' 'Hobby'
By spring 1984, the Stewart siblings and their friends had turned targeting lone men they believed to be gay into a 'hobby', jurors were told. However, they lied to police during house-to-house enquiries, claiming they were at home at the time of the attack. Anthony Stewart, a binman, insisted he never used the alley. No meaningful leads emerged, and the case remained unsolved for decades despite appeals on BBC Crimewatch and ITV's Police 5.
Breakthrough After 29 Years
A breakthrough came on the 29th anniversary of Mr Littler's death when the brothers' younger brother Daniel, then 10 at the time, came forward to police after a family falling-out. He told officers his older brothers had confessed to the killing and boasted about being involved in 'queer bashing'. Michael had also admitted the murder to his girlfriend and even showed her the scene of the crime down the alleyway at East Finchley Tube station.
Anthony was described as a man of few words, but Michael proved to have a 'loose tongue' and bragged about his actions in 1984, the court heard.
Trial and Verdict
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours to deliver their guilty verdict at the Old Bailey. Senior Crown prosecutor Samantha Yelland noted the 'challenges' in bringing the case, including the loss of key evidence such as a potential murder weapon. The 'unusual' decision to deploy covert tactics was made due to the lack of other evidence to prosecute the historic hate crime.
After the verdict, Ms Yelland said: 'I'm so pleased that we've managed to get justice all these years later for Anthony Littler. It's never right that someone dies in these circumstances, in particular in a hate crime. I'm glad that we've been able to get justice for his family.'
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John of Scotland Yard said: 'Anthony's life was suddenly cut short when he was killed in a brutal attack by two teenagers who we now know had a clear propensity for the most sickening kind of violence. They targeted Anthony because he was alone, defenceless and walking down a dark alley in which they knew no-one would see them carrying out their horrendous assault. They lay in wait for someone to cross their path, and tragically for Anthony he became their unsuspecting victim.'
The Events of That Night
During the trial, prosecuting barrister John Price KC described the events leading up to Mr Littler's death. He had taken a train to a pub in Carshalton, Surrey, after work to attend a meeting with a real ale group, Ponds Branch of The Society for the Preservation of Beer from the Wood. He returned home by train, getting off at East Finchley Tube station at 12.18am on May 1, then walking down a narrow alleyway towards his house, where the Stewart brothers 'ambushed' him.
Mr Price said the assailants lay in wait and attacked Mr Littler, striking him over the head immediately, even though there was no evidence they knew their victim. He suggested they may have panicked and fled without going through his pockets when they realised the amount of blood indicated they had killed him.
Late resident Edward Dyer was walking his dog and heard a loud shout that 'sounded like a cry of pain'. About half an hour later, Annalieze and James Hainge found Mr Littler lying injured in the alleyway. Mrs Hainge ran to call emergency services while her husband stayed with Mr Littler, but he died at the scene. Medics found two skull fractures and a 'catastrophic brain injury' that proved fatal.
Mrs Hainge's call was the second 999 alert from a public phone kiosk. At 12.22am, an unknown person had called an operator and asked for an 'ambulance – quick', saying 'I can’t stop, just get an ambulance to East Finchley station, there’s a man hurt outside the station.' The caller said the casualty was 'bleeding heavily' before hanging up. The call handler noted the male seemed 'abnormally concerned', was 'well spoken', and had a 'young sounding voice'. Station staff searched the area but found no trace of a bleeding man, so the incident was stood down.
Mr Price told jurors that given the timing, the unknown person must have been present when Mr Littler was attacked but gave 'wholly inaccurate information'. He said: 'The prosecution submits that 42 years later, the evidence now available shows that it was Michael Stewart who had made that first 999 call at 12.22am and then hung up without giving the operator his name or the information she needed.'
Both defendants, from north London, declined to give evidence and denied involvement. After the guilty verdicts, they were remanded into custody to be sentenced on July 3.
