Levi Bellfield
Encyclopedia
Levi Bellfield is a British
serial killer
. A former nightclub bouncer
and manager of a car clamping
business, he was convicted on 25 February 2008 of murdering Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange
. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. On 23 June 2011, Bellfield was found guilty of the murder of Milly Dowler.
, South West London, to Joseph Rabetts and Jean (now Bellfield), and is of Romani descent. When Bellfield was 10, his father died at age 37 of a heart attack. He has two brothers and a sister and was brought up on a South West London council estate. He attended Crane Junior School, Hampton and Feltham Comprehensive. He has been married four times and has fathered 11 children with five women, the youngest three with his most recent girlfriend, Emma Mills. His first conviction was for burglary in 1981. He was convicted of assaulting a police officer in 1990. He also has convictions for theft and driving offences. By 2002, he had nine convictions.
, who led the murder hunt, described him in some detail: "When we started dealing with him he came across as very jokey, like he's your best mate. But he's a cunning individual, violent. He can switch from being nice to being nasty, instantly."
Bellfield searched for victims on streets he knew intimately. Detectives tracked down a number of ex-girlfriends, who all described a similar pattern of behaviour when they got involved with him. "He was lovely at first, charming, then completely controlling and evil. They all said the same" said Detective Sergeant Jo Brunt.
business which operated in and around West Drayton
in West London where he lived. Detective Chief Inspector Sutton speculated: "[Bellfield] has a massive ego to feed, he thinks he's God's gift to everyone. He drives around in his car, feels a bit 'whatever' and sees some young blonde girl. Young blonde girl says 'go away' and he thinks 'you dare to turn down Levi Bellfield, you're worth nothing' and then she gets a whack over the head. It is shown in the case of Kate Sheedy. She was smart enough to think she didn't like the look of his car and crosses the road. He thinks 'You think you're so clever' and whoosh, he runs her over."
Bellfield was seen driving around in his van, talking to young girls at bus stops, while under police surveillance. Amelie Delagrange
was seen by CCTV cameras which showed her walking towards Twickenham Green after she missed her stop on the bus home. She may have stopped and spoken to Bellfield between the last two sightings of her. She was attacked shortly afterwards.
Bellfield was first identified as a suspect in connection with the crimes on 9 November 2004, and was arrested on 22 November 2004. He was charged on 1 March 2006.
. She is believed to have been killed just after she got off the 111 bus
from Kingston upon Thames
at the stop on Percy Road. Bellfield sold his Vauxhall Corsa car for £
1,500 six days after the murder, having bought it for £6,000 just five months earlier.
nearly four years later.
and false imprisonment
of Anna-Marie Rennie (then aged 17) at Whitton
on 14 October 2001, after she identified him in a video identity parade four years later. He was also charged with the attempted murder
of Irma Dragoshi (then aged 39) at Longford Village on 16 December 2003. The jury failed to reach verdicts on either of these charges.
with a recommendation that he should never be released
. Bellfield was not in court to hear his sentence, as he had refused to attend court owing to "unfair press coverage" following his conviction.
Despite the trial judge's comments, the European Court of Human Rights
has been reviewing whether lifelong imprisonment amounts to a violation of human rights legislation. Should the court decide that lifelong imprisonment is unlawful, then Bellfield and all other prisoners serving such sentences in Europe would have their cases recalled to court for a new minimum term to be set.
On 30 March 2010 Bellfield was charged with Dowler's abduction and murder. As a result, the inquest into the death was adjourned. On 6 October 2010 he appeared in court via video link and was formally charged with one count of attempted abduction
, one count of abduction, one count of disposal of evidence and one count of murder
.
The second Bellfield's trial began on 10 May 2011 and concluded on 23 June 2011 with the jury finding Bellfield guilty. He was again sentenced to life imprisonment the following day and the trial judge recommended that his life sentence should mean life – just as the judge at his trial for the other crimes had done three years earlier. The trial of Bellfield on another charge of attempted abduction of Rachel Cowles, an 11-year-old girl offered a lift in the Walton area by a man in a red car on 20 March 2002, was abandoned due to newspapers publishing prejudicial material, and the judge ordered that the charge should remain on file.
On 3 August 2011, it was reported that Bellfield had suffered facial cuts and bruising in an attack by a fellow prisoner in September 2010, and would be claiming compensation of up to £30,000 from the Prison Service. Three months later it was reported that Bellfield had converted to Islam
; sources at Wakefield Prison claimed they "are convinced Bellfield is doing this for better meals and a cushier life" and "He has the right to pray five times a day so it gives him a break". It was also claimed that he had done it to avoid retribution from jailed Islamic extremists.
Around the same time, a website campaigning against the conviction of Michael Stone for the murder of Kent
woman Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan at Chillenden
, Kent
, in July 1996, named Bellfield as a suspect for the crime as he was of a similar age and appearance to the attacker described by Russell's other daughter Josie (who was nine years old at the time and suffered near-fatal head injuries) and to a panic-stricken man seen by other witnesses driving a Ford car in the area at the time of the attack. Stone had been jailed for life for the crime in October 1998, but granted a re-trial in 2001 after a key witness at the original trial admitted to giving false information in court. Stone was convicted of the crime again in October that year at his second trial. In the aftermath of Bellfield's conviction for the murder of Amanda Dowler, there was speculation in the national media that Bellfield had been responsible for these additional crimes.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. A former nightclub bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
and manager of a car clamping
Wheel clamp
A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot or Denver boot, is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.In the United States, these devices...
business, he was convicted on 25 February 2008 of murdering Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange
Amelie Delagrange
Amelie Delagrange was a French-born student living in Twickenham, south-west London, England murdered by Levi Bellfield...
. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. On 23 June 2011, Bellfield was found guilty of the murder of Milly Dowler.
Early and personal life
Bellfield was born in IsleworthIsleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, South West London, to Joseph Rabetts and Jean (now Bellfield), and is of Romani descent. When Bellfield was 10, his father died at age 37 of a heart attack. He has two brothers and a sister and was brought up on a South West London council estate. He attended Crane Junior School, Hampton and Feltham Comprehensive. He has been married four times and has fathered 11 children with five women, the youngest three with his most recent girlfriend, Emma Mills. His first conviction was for burglary in 1981. He was convicted of assaulting a police officer in 1990. He also has convictions for theft and driving offences. By 2002, he had nine convictions.
Character
In an interview with the media, Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton of the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, who led the murder hunt, described him in some detail: "When we started dealing with him he came across as very jokey, like he's your best mate. But he's a cunning individual, violent. He can switch from being nice to being nasty, instantly."
Bellfield searched for victims on streets he knew intimately. Detectives tracked down a number of ex-girlfriends, who all described a similar pattern of behaviour when they got involved with him. "He was lovely at first, charming, then completely controlling and evil. They all said the same" said Detective Sergeant Jo Brunt.
Modus operandi
At the time of the attacks, Bellfield ran a wheel-clampingWheel clamp
A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot or Denver boot, is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.In the United States, these devices...
business which operated in and around West Drayton
West Drayton
West Drayton is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in the far west of London, England. Formerly part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District of Middlesex, the district became part of Greater London in 1965....
in West London where he lived. Detective Chief Inspector Sutton speculated: "[Bellfield] has a massive ego to feed, he thinks he's God's gift to everyone. He drives around in his car, feels a bit 'whatever' and sees some young blonde girl. Young blonde girl says 'go away' and he thinks 'you dare to turn down Levi Bellfield, you're worth nothing' and then she gets a whack over the head. It is shown in the case of Kate Sheedy. She was smart enough to think she didn't like the look of his car and crosses the road. He thinks 'You think you're so clever' and whoosh, he runs her over."
Bellfield was seen driving around in his van, talking to young girls at bus stops, while under police surveillance. Amelie Delagrange
Amelie Delagrange
Amelie Delagrange was a French-born student living in Twickenham, south-west London, England murdered by Levi Bellfield...
was seen by CCTV cameras which showed her walking towards Twickenham Green after she missed her stop on the bus home. She may have stopped and spoken to Bellfield between the last two sightings of her. She was attacked shortly afterwards.
Bellfield was first identified as a suspect in connection with the crimes on 9 November 2004, and was arrested on 22 November 2004. He was charged on 1 March 2006.
Marsha McDonnell
Marsha Louise McDonnell, a 19-year-old woman, died in hospital after being beaten over the head with a blunt instrument near her home in HamptonHampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...
. She is believed to have been killed just after she got off the 111 bus
London Buses route 111
London Buses route 111 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
from Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
at the stop on Percy Road. Bellfield sold his Vauxhall Corsa car for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1,500 six days after the murder, having bought it for £6,000 just five months earlier.
Kate Sheedy
Kate Sheedy, then aged 18, was run over as she crossed the road near an entrance to an industrial estate in Isleworth on 28 May 2004. She survived, but suffered multiple injuries and spent several weeks in hospital. She went on to give evidence against Bellfield when he was tried with her attempted murderAttempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
nearly four years later.
Amelie Delagrange
Amelie Delagrange was a 22-year-old French student visiting the UK. She was found at Twickenham Green on an evening with serious head injuries, and died in hospital the same night. Within 24 hours, the police established that she may have been killed by the same person who had killed Marsha McDonnell 18 months earlier. Bellfield reportedly confessed to the murder while on remand.Amanda 'Milly' Dowler
Amanda Dowler was a 13-year-old girl who went missing in Walton-on-Thames on 21 March 2002 and was found dead in Hampshire six months later. In August 2009, Surrey Police submitted a dossier to the CPS containing evidence regarding Bellfield's alleged involvement in the murder of Dowler. On 30 March 2010, Bellfield was charged with the kidnap and murder of Dowler, as well as the attempted kidnap of then 12-year-old Rachel Cowles on 20 March 2002. He was convicted of Dowler's murder on 23 June 2011.Other charges
Bellfield was also charged with abductionKidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and false imprisonment
False imprisonment
False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...
of Anna-Marie Rennie (then aged 17) at Whitton
Whitton
-People:* Charlotte Whitton , Canadian feminist and Mayor of Ottawa* David Whitton, Scottish politician* Donald Whitton , Canadian cellist, and teacher* Evan Whitton, Australian journalist...
on 14 October 2001, after she identified him in a video identity parade four years later. He was also charged with the attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
of Irma Dragoshi (then aged 39) at Longford Village on 16 December 2003. The jury failed to reach verdicts on either of these charges.
Conviction and imprisonment
Bellfield was found guilty of the murders of McDonnell and Delagrange (as well as the attempted murder of Sheedy) on 25 February 2008. The following day, he was sentenced to life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
with a recommendation that he should never be released
Whole life tariff
This is a list of prisoners who have received a whole life tariff through some mechanism in jurisdictions of the United Kingdom.Eight of these prisoners have since died in prison, while three of them have had their sentences reduced on appeal, meaning that there are currently at least 48 prisoners...
. Bellfield was not in court to hear his sentence, as he had refused to attend court owing to "unfair press coverage" following his conviction.
Despite the trial judge's comments, the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
has been reviewing whether lifelong imprisonment amounts to a violation of human rights legislation. Should the court decide that lifelong imprisonment is unlawful, then Bellfield and all other prisoners serving such sentences in Europe would have their cases recalled to court for a new minimum term to be set.
On 30 March 2010 Bellfield was charged with Dowler's abduction and murder. As a result, the inquest into the death was adjourned. On 6 October 2010 he appeared in court via video link and was formally charged with one count of attempted abduction
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, one count of abduction, one count of disposal of evidence and one count of murder
Murder in English law
Murder is an offence under the common law of England and Wales. It is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another either intending to cause death or intending to cause serious injury .-Actus reus:The definition of the actus reus Murder is an offence under the...
.
The second Bellfield's trial began on 10 May 2011 and concluded on 23 June 2011 with the jury finding Bellfield guilty. He was again sentenced to life imprisonment the following day and the trial judge recommended that his life sentence should mean life – just as the judge at his trial for the other crimes had done three years earlier. The trial of Bellfield on another charge of attempted abduction of Rachel Cowles, an 11-year-old girl offered a lift in the Walton area by a man in a red car on 20 March 2002, was abandoned due to newspapers publishing prejudicial material, and the judge ordered that the charge should remain on file.
On 3 August 2011, it was reported that Bellfield had suffered facial cuts and bruising in an attack by a fellow prisoner in September 2010, and would be claiming compensation of up to £30,000 from the Prison Service. Three months later it was reported that Bellfield had converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
; sources at Wakefield Prison claimed they "are convinced Bellfield is doing this for better meals and a cushier life" and "He has the right to pray five times a day so it gives him a break". It was also claimed that he had done it to avoid retribution from jailed Islamic extremists.
Links to other crimes
After his 2008 murder trial, Bellfield was named by police as a suspect in connection with numerous unsolved murders and attacks on women dating back to 1990 – as well as the murder of a 14-year-old girl in 1980, when Bellfield was 12 years old and attending the same school as the victim.Around the same time, a website campaigning against the conviction of Michael Stone for the murder of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
woman Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan at Chillenden
Chillenden
Chillenden is a village in East Kent, England, between Canterbury and Deal. It was home to the families of Thomas Chillenden and William Chillenden, as indicated by their surnames....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, in July 1996, named Bellfield as a suspect for the crime as he was of a similar age and appearance to the attacker described by Russell's other daughter Josie (who was nine years old at the time and suffered near-fatal head injuries) and to a panic-stricken man seen by other witnesses driving a Ford car in the area at the time of the attack. Stone had been jailed for life for the crime in October 1998, but granted a re-trial in 2001 after a key witness at the original trial admitted to giving false information in court. Stone was convicted of the crime again in October that year at his second trial. In the aftermath of Bellfield's conviction for the murder of Amanda Dowler, there was speculation in the national media that Bellfield had been responsible for these additional crimes.