Two brothers have been convicted of murdering a civil servant in a homophobic hate crime more than four decades ago. Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of killing Anthony Littler in East Finchley, north London, on 1 May 1984.
Mr Littler, 45, was struck twice on the head with a blunt object as he walked home from East Finchley Tube station. He was found by passers-by in an alleyway, still in possession of his briefcase, £80 in cash and credit cards. He had sustained a catastrophic brain injury.
The brothers, then aged 15 and 18, had turned targeting solitary men they suspected of being gay into a disturbing hobby, jurors heard. They maintained they were at home during the attack, but a breakthrough came on the 29th anniversary of Mr Littler's death when their younger brother Daniel approached police after a family dispute. He told officers his elder brothers had admitted to the killing and bragged about taking part in 'queer bashing'.
Police reopened the case in 2022 and used covert listening devices in the brothers' vehicles and Michael's home. Michael was found to have a 'loose tongue' and boasted about his actions in 1984. Following a trial, the jury took less than three hours to convict them of murder.
Senior Crown prosecutor Samantha 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.' Detective Chief Inspector Neil John added: '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.'
