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British chef guilty of stabbing, seasoning victim

A British chef who sliced and seasoned bits of his victim's flesh after a frenzied knife attack was found guilty of murder Friday.
/ Source: The Associated Press

A British chef who sliced and seasoned bits of his victim's flesh after a frenzied knife attack was found guilty of murder Friday.

A court in the northern English city of Leeds took about two hours to convict Anthony Morley, 36, the first winner of the "Mr. Gay U.K." title in 1993.

Morley hung his head when the verdict was read as members of the packed public gallery cheered and clapped. Several jury members left the court in tears.

Morley acknowledged killing Damien Oldfield but denied murder, saying there were mitigating circumstances. He told the jury at Leeds Crown Court that he had been traumatized when he was molested by an older man when he was younger.

When Oldfield unexpectedly initiated sexual contact during an evening the pair spent together at Morley's home in Leeds in April, memories of the abuse came flooding back, Morley said. He said he feared of being raped.

Prosecutors said Morley slashed Oldfield's throat and stabbed him repeatedly before carving out pieces of flesh, chopping one chunk up on his kitchen's cutting board, and seasoning it with fresh herbs and olive oil. Forensic experts found a chewed piece of flesh in a trash bag.

Morley, covered in blood, then walked to a nearby restaurant to tell staff he had killed someone because they had tried to rape him.

Morley said he had no memories of what happened after the attack, though he acknowledged he may have cooked a piece of his victim.