Two brothers have been found guilty of killing a civil servant in a brutal attack in north London 42 years ago. Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, ambushed Anthony Littler in an alley in East Finchley on May 1 1984, hitting him twice over the head with a blunt weapon, causing a catastrophic brain injury.
Mr Littler, 45, was found mortally wounded half an hour later lying in a pool of blood, still with his briefcase, £80 cash and credit cards. The jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for less than three hours to find them guilty of murder on Monday.
Jurors had been told that the brothers, who were just 15 and 18 at the time of the attack, had made a “hobby” of targeting lone men they believed to be gay. Despite appeals on BBC Crimewatch and ITV's Police 5, the case remained unsolved for decades until the defendants’ younger brother Daniel came forward to police on the 29th anniversary of Mr Littler’s death after a family falling-out.
Daniel told police that his brothers had boasted about being involved in “queer bashing”, and that Michael had bragged that he had “robbed a bloke and he died”. Michael had also admitted his guilt to a girlfriend and showed her where the attack occurred.
Prosecutor John Price KC said the assailants lay in wait and ambushed Mr Littler, striking him over the head, even though there was no evidence they knew their victim. Michael Stewart had anonymously called for an ambulance from a phone box moments after the attack, but the call was not acted upon until a second call was made.
After the guilty verdicts, 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.” The brothers were remanded into custody, to be sentenced on July 3.
