Former Mr Gay UK accused of killing and eating another man gives evidence at trial
A chef accused of the murder of a gay man has given evidence at Leeds Crown Court. The court was told that Morley, a chef, had seasoned and cooked some of Mr Oldfield’s flesh and chewed a piece before discarding it.
Anthony Morley said that he had a steady girlfriend when he won the first Mr Gay UK competition in 1993 and his lawyer claimed that he was conflicted about his sexual orientation.
Robert Smith QC will tell the court that Morley 36, was groomed for sex by an older man when he was 16.
This scarred him for life and left him unsure if he was gay or straight.
Morley is accused of murdering Damian Oldfield.
The 33 year old gay man’s body was discovered by officers in Morley’s bedroom in his flat in Harehills on April 24th.
Last week the court heard that Mr Oldfield, 33, sustained more than 30 stab wounds, some of them post mortem, and pieces of his leg and chest had been sliced off.
His jugular vein had been cut open in the attack.
Police found pieces of muscle, skin and flesh under Mr Oldfield’s naked body.
The court was told that Morley, a chef, had seasoned and cooked some of Mr Oldfield’s flesh and chewed a piece before discarding it.
Chunks of cooked flesh were found on the chopping board in his kitchen.
The prosecution said that the pair had been involved in a relationship of some kind in the previous months and that they exchanged a series of text messages on April 23rd, the date of Mr Oldfield’s death.
One text implied that Morley was having difficulties with his sexuality but would “like to try again” but “take it slow”.
The prosecution said that after sexual activity took place that Morley then stabbed Oldfield in the throat.
The court was told that there was no sign of struggle and that it was possible that the victim was attacked from behind.
Morley later went to a takeaway restaurant and asked for the police to be called.
Morley was reported to have said to police: “It’s this lad, he tried to rape me so I stopped him.”
While admitting it was “a terrible, horrific and bizarre killing,” Mr Smith said today that his client was provoked by Mr Oldfield’s actions on the night.
“It wasn’t necessary to stab this man in the back, his throat had been cut and he was already dead. You may want to consider whether that was a complete loss of self control on the part of Tony Morley when he did what he did,” he said, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The case continues.
