Bio

Anthony Morley was born in 1972 and grew up in Leeds, England. Before his murder conviction, he was known publicly as a model and chef. In 1993, he won the first Mr Gay UK contest. After that, he worked in modelling and later trained as a chef. By 2008, he was working as a sous-chef in Leeds.

Morley had also appeared on the television dating show God’s Gift in the 1990s. Damian Oldfield, who later became his victim, was connected to the same television and gay media circles. Oldfield worked in advertising for the gay lifestyle magazine Bent.

Before the murder, Morley and Oldfield had known each other and had some form of past relationship. On April 23, 2008, they arranged to meet in Leeds. Reports from the trial said Morley had expressed conflict about his sexuality and wanted to take things slowly.

Murder Story

On April 23, 2008, Anthony Morley met Damian Oldfield in Leeds. The two men later went to Morley’s home on Bexley Place. Morley cooked a meal for them, and they later went upstairs to his bedroom. During the night, Morley attacked Oldfield. He cut Oldfield’s throat and stabbed him repeatedly. Court reports said Oldfield suffered multiple wounds and that parts of his thigh and chest were later cut from his body.

After the killing, Morley cooked pieces of Oldfield’s flesh with herbs and olive oil. Police later found cooked human flesh on a chopping board in Morley’s kitchen, along with a frying pan containing traces of herbs and oil. A chewed piece of flesh was also found in a bin bag.

After the crime, Morley walked into a nearby takeaway restaurant wearing a bloodstained dressing gown and flip-flops. He asked staff to call the police and claimed that he had killed someone because the person had tried to rape him. Police then went to his home and found Oldfield’s body.

Morley admitted killing Oldfield but denied murder. His defense argued provocation and diminished responsibility, claiming he had been affected by sexual trauma and confusion over his sexuality. The jury rejected his defense. On October 17, 2008, Morley was found guilty of murder.

On October 20, 2008, Morley was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years. Judge James Stewart described the case as one of the most gruesome murders he had encountered.