The sentences handed to Thomas Campbell's killers were not 'unduly lenient', a top Government lawyer has said. Thomas, 38, was robbed and murdered in his own home after being ambushed by three men at his front door in July. He was 'tortured to death' during a two hour ordeal, during which he was stabbed, beaten up and strangled, as well as having boiling water poured on his genitals.
He was left for dead in the hallway of his home in Mossley, Tameside, and found the next day by a neighbour. In January three people, including Thomas' ex-wife of 10 years Coleen Campbell, went on trial accused of his murder.
Coleen Campbell, 38, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. She provided key intelligence about her former spouse's movements to his killers. She was sentenced to 13 years in prison, and will have to serve two-thirds of her jail term in custody.
Reece Steven, 29, one of the three men at the scene of the killing, was found guilty of murder. He was handed a life sentence, and ordered to serve a minimum of 37 years in prison.
Stephen Cleworth, 38, who was not at the scene of the murder but played an important role in the 'professional' planning ahead of the robbery, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. He was also given a life sentence, to serve a minimum of 12 years.
After the punishments were handed down, they were referred to Government lawyers as being potentially 'unduly lenient'. But now it has been confirmed that the sentences will not be referred to the Court of Appeal.
A spokesperson for the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson MP said: "The Solicitor General was shocked by the horrific circumstances in which Thomas Campbell was murdered. After careful consideration the Solicitor General has concluded that this case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal.
"A referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to the Court of Appeal can only be made if a sentence is not just lenient but unduly so, such that the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence.
"The threshold is a high one, and the test was not met in this case." The murder trial, held at Bolton Crown Court, heard that the alleged mastermind of the robbery was 28-year-old John Belfield. He was said to have plotted with Thomas' ex-wife in the days before the killing. Police believe Coleen Campbell harboured feelings of jealousy towards her former husband following their divorce in 2021.
Belfield, an alleged drug dealer, was said to be motivated by revenge because Thomas was in a relationship with a former girlfriend of his. The robbers were said to have targeted Thomas, a convicted drug dealer, because they believed he had drugs, valuables or cash in his home.
Belfield did not appear in court at the trial and is said to have gone on the run. GMP previously said they believe he may be in Spain or Tenerife.
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