20/10/2008

Cannibal Chef Jailed For A Minimum Of 30 Years

A chef who murdered his boyfriend before cutting a section of flesh off his thighs and cooking and eating it has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.

The first winner of Mr Gay UK, Antony Morley, 36, from Bexley Place, Leeds, was given a life sentence after being found guilty of the murder of 33-year-old Damien Oldfield in April this year.

Morley cut Mr Oldfield's throat before stabbing him several times and cutting sections of flesh off his body.

Sentencing at Leeds Crown Court Judge James Stewart QC said: "Not only did you murder your victim by cutting his throat and stabbing him but you cut him up, cooked him and ate part of him.

"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."

As Judge Stewart read out Morley's sentence there was applause from the public gallery and a shout of "murderer".

Speaking during the trial Morley said he could not remember killing Mr Oldfield who was an advertising salesman for gay lifestyle magazine Bent.

The court heard how Morley and Oldfield had previously had some kind of relationship and the pair had arranged to meet on the day of the murder.

Mr Oldfield went back to Morley's house, where the chef prepared a meal for them both before the pair went upstairs to his bedroom.

Morley later walked into a takeaway wearing a bloodstained dressing gown and flip-flops and told staff and police he had killed someone because they tried to rape him.

(GK/JM)

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