A brutal murder from 1984 has finally seen justice served after a painstaking investigation spanning four decades. Michael Stewart, 57, and his brother Anthony Stewart, 60, have been handed life sentences for the unprovoked killing of civil servant Anthony Littler in north London.
Forty-two years ago, on 1 May 1984, Anthony Littler was a 45-year-old victim who had just disembarked from a train at East Finchley station. He attended a real ale society meeting across London and was fatally struck twice over the head in an alleyway near his destination. The initial investigation found no eyewitnesses, forensic evidence, or clear motive, leaving the case unsolved for decades.
However, detectives' determination eventually led to a breakthrough through a daring undercover police operation. A cold case review prompted the deployment of covert officers, who bugged Michael Stewart's home and car, and placed listening devices on his brother's vehicle. The extensive surveillance aimed to prompt the brothers, with a history of discussing the crime, to reveal details that could finally lead to their conviction.
Mrs Justice Cutts stated during sentencing that she was certain the Stewart brothers' group had targeted Anthony Littler as an unsuspecting victim. While there was no evidence that he was targeted due to his sexual orientation, the court heard that the Stewarts had previously targeted gay men with a view to robbery.
For Mr Littler's last surviving close relative, Patricia McLure, the conviction brings closure after years of anguish. She remembered her cousin as a 'kind soul' who 'wouldn't harm a fly', making his violent death particularly devastating. Repeated appeals and investigations had failed to yield charges previously, leaving the family with a sense of 'everlasting sadness'. The original Metropolitan Police investigation in 1984 even saw officers interview the then-teenaged Stewart brothers, but their claims of not using the alleyway were later found to be untrue.
The court heard that the brothers had a history of violence and had previously been known to lie about their whereabouts. These details underscored the complexities and missed opportunities in the initial inquiry, which ultimately hindered the pursuit of justice for Anthony Littler's family.