{"id":8383,"date":"2026-07-10T11:27:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T11:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/brothers-get-life-for-hate-crime-murder-42-years-on-after-police-bugged-cars\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T11:27:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T11:27:28","slug":"brothers-get-life-for-hate-crime-murder-42-years-on-after-police-bugged-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/brothers-get-life-for-hate-crime-murder-42-years-on-after-police-bugged-cars\/","title":{"rendered":"Brothers get life for hate crime murder 42 years on after police bugged cars"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_3d5bec\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Michael Stewart and Anthony Stewart were just 15 and 18 when they attacked Anthony Littler in north London &#8211; they have finally been brought to justice 42 years on<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\"><\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37413291\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Michael Stewart (left) and Anthony Stewart\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413291.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413291.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413291.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413291.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Michael Stewart (left) and Anthony Stewart\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Michael Stewart (left) and Anthony Stewart<cite aria-label=\"Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Two brothers have been jailed for life after killing a civil servant 42 years ago during a spree of gratuitous violence against men they believed to be gay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, were handed minimum terms of 10 years and 15 years respectively today. They were just 15 and 18 when they set upon Anthony Littler as he walked home in East Finchley, north London, on May 1 1984.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The victim, a real ale enthusiast, had spent the evening at a pub in Carshalton, Surrey, at a meeting of the Ponds Branch of The Society for the Preservation of Beer from the Wood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He was ambushed and left for dead as he walked home down a narrow alleyway from East Finchley Tube station at 12.18am.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37413293\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37413293\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:0.8527777777777777\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Anthony Littler\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413293.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413293.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413293.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37413293.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Anthony Littler\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Anthony Littler<cite aria-label=\"Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Metropolitan Police\/PA Wire)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Littler, 45, was hit twice over the head with a blunt weapon and was found mortally wounded half an hour later, still with his briefcase, \u00a380 cash and credit cards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Within minutes of the attack, Michael Stewart had anonymously called for an ambulance from a phone box, but a search for an injured man was called off after he hung up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Half an hour later, Mr Littler was found by members of the public lying in a pool of blood having suffered a \u201ccatastrophic\u201d brain injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">By the spring of 1984 the Stewart siblings and their friends had made a \u201chobby\u201d of targeting lone men who they believed to be gay, jurors were told.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But during house-to-house police inquiries, they claimed to be at home at the time of the attack on Mr Littler, with binman Anthony Stewart insisting he never used the alley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Despite an appeal on <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">BBC<\/a> Crimewatch and <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/itv\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">ITV<\/a>\u2019s Police 5, no meaningful leads were identified and the case remained unsolved for decades, the Old Bailey heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The breakthrough came on the 29th anniversary of Mr Littler\u2019s death, when the defendants\u2019 younger brother Daniel, who was 10 at the time, came forward to police after a family falling-out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He told officers his older brothers had confessed to the killing and boasted about being involved in \u201cqueer bashing\u201d, jurors were told.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Years after the killing, Michael Stewart had also admitted his guilt to a girlfriend and even showed her where it happened, the court had heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In 2022, police reopened the investigation and deployed covert investigative techniques against the brothers, bugging their cars and Michael\u2019s home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Anthony was said to be a man of few words but Michael proved to have a \u201cloose tongue\u201d and bragged about what he did in 1984, the court heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Both defendants, from north London, who declined to give evidence, had denied involvement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">An Old Bailey jury deliberated for less than three hours to find them guilty of murder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/murder-london-gay-violence-brothers-37413258\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Stewart and Anthony Stewart were just 15 and 18 when they attacked Anthony Littler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2_Anthony-Littler-death.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}