Brothers convicted of murder 42 years after 1984 London hate crime
A jury found Michael and Anthony Stewart guilty after a cold-case review uncovered new witness accounts and covert police recordings.
- On Monday, a jury at the Old Bailey convicted brothers Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, of murdering civil servant Anthony Littler, 45, in East Finchley 42 years ago.
- By spring 1984, the brothers—then aged 15 and 18—had developed a "hobby" of targeting lone men they believed to be gay; Littler was struck twice on the head in an East Finchley alleyway on May 1.
- A breakthrough arrived on the 29th anniversary of Littler's death when younger brother Daniel came forward after a family dispute, revealing Michael had told a witness in 2015 he had "killed someone."
- Following a 2022 case review, the Metropolitan Police deployed covert listening devices in the brothers' vehicles and Michael's residence, capturing him with a "loose tongue" about his 1984 actions.
- Remanded in custody following Monday's guilty verdicts, the brothers face sentencing on July 3, resolving a hate crime investigation that remained unsolved for 42 years.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Cold case detectives finally solve civil servant murdered in London alleyway
Anthony Stewart (L) and Michael Stewart (R) will finally be sentenced for their crimes 42 years after the death of civil servant Anthony Littler (Picture: Met Police) It took more than 40 years but patient murder detectives finally got their killers by exploiting a family rift. In one of the Met’s longest ever cold cases Anthony Littler was found battered to death in an alleyway near a north London Tube station. Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony …
Brothers convicted of 1984 hate crime murder after police bugged their cars
Michael Stewart and Anthony Stewart have been convicted of the 1984 homophobic murder of civil servant Anthony Littler in East Finchley, London, after police bugged their cars 42 years on to secure a cold case breakthrough.
Brothers convicted of hate crime murder 42 years on after cars bugged by police
Two brothers have been convicted of the cold case murder of a civil servant 42 years ago after police bugged their cars in a covert surveillance operation targeting the historic homophobic killing in north London
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