Brothers facing life in jail for killing civil servant 42 years ago in spree of violence against gay men

Michael Stewart, 57, and Anthony Stewart, 60, were just 15 and 18 when they set upon Anthony Littler as he walked home in East Finchley, north London, on May 1 1984.

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.

He was ambushed and left for dead as he walked home down a narrow alleyway from East Finchley Tube station at 12.18am.

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, £80 cash and credit cards.

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.

Half an hour later, Mr Littler was found by members of the public lying in a pool of blood having suffered a “catastrophic” brain injury.

By the spring of 1984 the Stewart siblings and their friends had made a “hobby” of targeting lone men who they believed to be gay, jurors were told.

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.

Despite an appeal on Crimewatch and ITV’s Police 5, no meaningful leads were identified and the case remained unsolved for decades, the Old Bailey heard.

The breakthrough came on the 29th anniversary of Mr Littler’s death, when the defendants’ younger brother Daniel, who was 10 at the time, came forward to police after a family falling-out.

He told officers his older brothers had confessed to the killing and boasted about being involved in “queer bashing”, jurors were told.

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.

In 2022, police reopened the investigation and deployed covert investigative techniques against the brothers, bugging their cars and Michael’s home.

Anthony was said to be a man of few words but Michael proved to have a “loose tongue” and bragged about what he did in 1984, the court heard.

Both defendants, from north London, who declined to give evidence, had denied involvement.

An Old Bailey jury deliberated for less than three hours to find them guilty of murder on Monday.

The Stewart brothers will be sentenced by Mrs Justice Cutts on Friday.

'The most sickening kind of violence'

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, who led the investigation, said: “Anthony’s life was suddenly cut short when he was killed in a brutal attack by two teenagers who we now know had a clear propensity for the most sickening kind of violence.

“They targeted Anthony because he was alone, defenceless and walking down a dark alley in which they knew no-one would see them carrying out their horrendous assault. They lay in wait for someone to cross their path and tragically for Anthony, he became their unsuspecting victim.

“We know Anthony’s murder has continued to cause his family pain all these years later, and we are pleased that they now know who was responsible for his death.“We also want to pay tribute to those who came forward to provide information on the events of that night, as well as giving vital evidence in court. Without them, this verdict would not have been possible.

“The Met will always review any new evidence that is brought to us, no matter the length of time that has passed. We will use all of the resources available to seek out the truth and pursue new opportunities to get justice for all victims who have been unlawfully killed.”