Shortly after midnight on Tuesday 1 May 1984 a civil servant was found seriously injured in an alleyway behind East Finchley tube station in north London.
Anthony Littler, a 45-year-old single man who worked for HM Customs and Excise as an executive officer, had suffered “catastrophic” wounds to his head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
He lived lived just a short distance away from the station and detectives believe he was walking home after a night out when he was attacked on a pathway known as ‘The Causeway” at around 12.15am.
The initial police investigation was unable to prove who killed Anthony or why, although detectives said they believed it was a random attack which may have been linked to another assault in the same area two days earlier.
The victim of that earlier attack has never been traced but he told a shopkeeper at Galleon Wine Stores on High Road, East Finchley, that he had been assaulted by two young people with a baseball bat outside the tube station on 28 April 1984.
He was seen to have severe facial injuries including a badly bruised black eye when he spoke to the shopkeeper the next day. The shopkeeper described him as being 6ft tall and of medium build with short brown hair.
The breakthrough only came in 2022 when detectives launched a review of the evidence and focused on two prime suspects, Anthony Stewart and Michael Stewart, who would have been aged 19 and 15 at the time of the murder.
At that time the key information pointing to their involvement came from tip-offs that both men had confessed to their involvement in a fatal attack. Most importantly, they had the statement of the suspects’ younger brother Daniel Stewart, who had come forward in 2013 to say that Michael had told him in 1984 that he had ‘robbed a bloke and he died’ and that Anthony had made a similar confession eight or nine years later.
Michael had also bragged to another witness in 2015 about his involvement in an attack at East Finchley station and confided that he had “rung the Old Bill” after the attack.
Detectives looked into the 999 call and established it was made from a phone box near the alleyway at 12.22am. The caller, who sounded like a young male, said there was a man hurt outside East Finchley station and then hung up.
An analysis of written records of the arrival and departure times of tube trains at the station suggested that Anthony Littler had left at around 12.20am. This provided further evidence that the person who made the call was likely to have been involved in the attack.
Further evidence from witnesses, including the Littler family, provided a potential motive and evidence of a history of similar behaviour: Anthony and Michael were known for what was then termed “gay-bashing” – attacking lone and defenceless men in secluded areas in the belief that they may be homosexual.
While Anthony Stewart had previously given an alibi for his whearabouts at the time of the attack – that he was at the family home that night as usual – further investigation revealed he lived alone in a bedsit in Bounds Green and only visited his mother on Sundays.
On 21 March 2024 police arrested the two brothers, Michael Stewart, by then aged 54 (11.04.69) of Station Road, EN5, and Anthony Stewart, 58 (19.11.65) of Old Farm Road, N29, but both denied their involvement.
They were charged with murder on 6 March 2025 and over a year later, on 1 June 2026, the brothers were found guilty of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey. Neither gave evidence at trial.
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.”
Anthony was a lovely, kind and gentle man who wouldn’t have hurt anyone. It is heart-breaking to our family that this happened to him. After all this time, we hope this new investigation puts those responsible behind bars. It won’t bring Anthony back, but it will give us some closure.”
Tricia McClure, Anthony’s cousin, speaking in 2023
Anyone with information should contact police on 020 8358 0100 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.