Jail for `cannibal chef`

Judge James Stewart QC told Leeds Crown Court he no longer just associated cannibalism with "eras long gone" after hearing how Anthony Morley killed boyfriend Damian Oldfield in April.

Morley, 36, from Bexley Place, Leeds, slashed Mr Oldfield's throat before stabbing him multiple times and cooking and eating sections of his flesh.

He was jailed for life after being found guilty of Mr Oldfield's "gruesome" murder last week.

Sentencing Morley, Judge Stewart said: "This was, in my judgment, a cold-blooded, savagely executed murder, carried out by cutting his throat as he lay in your bed and, when he fell to the floor, you stabbed him repeatedly and ferociously. He died.

"You then, when satisfied he was dead, cut chunks from his body and cooked it, using your skill as a chef, with oil and herbs, sliced it as if a steak and tried to eat it. It was not to your liking so you spat it out and discarded it in your waste bin."

Judge Stewart continued: "Before this case, I had associated cannibalism with eras long gone, with the tale of Robinson Crusoe. No longer. You have plumbed depths rarely encountered in our court."

Members of the public gallery applauded and shouted "murderer" as Judge Stewart set out how long Morley was to spend behind bars.

Morley, who won the first Mr Gay UK title in 1993 but was said to be confused about his sexuality, had previously had some kind of relationship with openly gay Mr Oldfield and the pair arranged to meet on the day of the murder.

Morley claimed he killed Mr Oldfield after waking up to find him performing a sexual act on him and said he feared he was going to be raped. However, Judge Stewart rejected Morley's claims that he had been provoked into the murder and told him he had encouraged Mr Oldfield and consented to sexual activity.