Three people sentenced to a total of 62 years for their involvement in Thomas Campbell's death in July 2022

Today (Wednesday 2 February 2023), two men and a woman have been sentenced to a total of 62 years for the part they played in Thomas Campbell’s death.

Reece Steven (29) of Poplar Street, Middleton has been found guilty of murder with conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to life in prison. Stephen Cleworth (38) Charles Street, Heywood has been found guilty of manslaughter with conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to a minimum of 12 years. Finally, Coleen Campbell (38) of Bamford Street was found guilty of manslaughter with conspiracy to rob and was sentenced to 13 years with two thirds being custodial. 

 

Reece Steven and Stephen Cleworth

The sentencing today (Wednesday 22 February 2023) comes after a lengthy investigation which started in July 2022, which brought to light the movements of those involved. A team of detectives in GMP’s Major Incident Team have worked tirelessly to search for answers for his family.

During the investigation, GMP has collected, reviewed and analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV and nearly 3000 exhibits, spoken to over 200 witnesses and arrested 19 people in its quest to secure justice for Thomas’ family.

The conspiracy to murder Thomas Campbell was meticulously thought out and used those closest to Thomas to track his every move. Those involved in his murder formulated a plan for the attack that focussed on his daily routine, which was known well by Coleen Campbell. Colleen was recruited by the group to share the information that they needed to carry out the attack.

Coleen told the Jury that she believed the plan was only to rob Thomas of his property - namely of two Rolex watches, the whereabouts of which remain unknown to police at this time.

She provided the exact locations of the whereabouts of Thomas Campbell, through phone messages and calls to another member of the group.

Detectives found the location of a tracker placed on Thomas’ van. The tactics of how to attach a tracker to a vehicle were discussed in public by the three offenders in this case in the hours prior to the tracker being deployed. This meeting and the deployment of the tracker were both captured on CCTV.

On the night of the attack on 2 July 2022, Thomas was ambushed as he opened his front door by a group who had been lying in wait for him. He was overpowered and assaulted on his doorstep before he was dragged back inside his own home, tortured and murdered. An autopsy revealed he suffered over 61 injuries.

Detective Inspector Mark Davis of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "The thoughts of the investigation team remain with Thomas’s family as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

 

Thomas Campbell

“This was a despicable and incredibly violent attack that was fuelled by the pure anger and aggression of those involved and which tragically cost Thomas his life.

"No length of sentence given today will bring Thomas back and his family are left to grieve his loss. Those sentenced now face a long time behind bars and I hope they will use this time to reflect upon the hurt they have inflicted on his family.

"Even though three people have now been jailed for their involvement in this case, our work does not stop here, and the investigation team will keep pushing for justice until all of those responsible are brought to justice.

“We continue to appeal to anyone with information about this case to come forwards and share it with the police.

I understand that coming forwards with information can be difficult but it is the right thing to do and it is important that we get justice for Thomas and answers for his family.

"Anyone with information should contact GMP via gmp.police.uk or by calling 101 quoting Operation Ravensburg.

"We have a dedicated portal for anyone to submit images or video footage to help our ongoing inquiries https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP22G12-PO1."

Information can also be shared anonymously via the independent charity – Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.