The 'mastermind' of the brutal killing of a man tied up with extra strength duct tape and tortured to death in his own home joked about how the victim 'must have bled everywhere', a court heard today.
John Belfield, 31, 'fled' to South America after Thomas Campbell's bloodied body was found, dressed in only a pair of socks, leaving his alleged 'right-hand man' to stand trial for murdering the 38-year-old, a jury has been told.
After being extradited from the former Dutch colony of Suriname, Belfield is now standing trial over the 'harrowing and violent assault' by a gang of three men in July 2022.
Today jurors heard messages which Reece Steven sent Belfield - alleged to be the ringleader of the plot - from behind bars during the first trial, in which he was convicted of murder.
In an exchange about Campbell's injuries, Steven wrote: 'Tommy crumble. Dripping in tom juice everywhere.'
