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| Stalker guilty of student murders | Stalker guilty of student murders |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| A man has been found guilty of murdering two students he stalked at bus stops in south-west London. | A man has been found guilty of murdering two students he stalked at bus stops in south-west London. |
| Levi Bellfield, 39, of West Drayton, west London, was convicted of killing Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19. | Levi Bellfield, 39, of West Drayton, west London, was convicted of killing Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19. |
| He has also been found guilty of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. | He has also been found guilty of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. |
| Bellfield attacked the women in 2003 and 2004. Police also suspect him of carrying out 20 other attacks on women. He will be sentenced on Tuesday. | |
| Police revealed after the trial that the other attacks Bellfield is suspected of carrying out include six attempted date rapes involving drugs and they believe more victims will now come forward. | Police revealed after the trial that the other attacks Bellfield is suspected of carrying out include six attempted date rapes involving drugs and they believe more victims will now come forward. |
| The former bouncer is also due to be questioned over the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who went missing on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey on 21 March 2002. | The former bouncer is also due to be questioned over the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who went missing on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey on 21 March 2002. |
| Bellfield stalked lone women at bus stopsDuring the trial the prosecution said Bellfield trawled buses and bus stops for women and attacked them when they rejected him. | Bellfield stalked lone women at bus stopsDuring the trial the prosecution said Bellfield trawled buses and bus stops for women and attacked them when they rejected him. |
| Miss McDonnell was "bludgeoned to death" just yards from her front door after she got off a bus in February 2003. | Miss McDonnell was "bludgeoned to death" just yards from her front door after she got off a bus in February 2003. |
| And in August 2004 Miss Delagrange died from severe head injuries following an attack on Twickenham Green when she was walking home after missing her bus stop. | And in August 2004 Miss Delagrange died from severe head injuries following an attack on Twickenham Green when she was walking home after missing her bus stop. |
| Miss Sheedy suffered extensive injuries when she got off a bus and was hit by a car, which reversed back over her before driving off, in May 2004, when she was 18. | Miss Sheedy suffered extensive injuries when she got off a bus and was hit by a car, which reversed back over her before driving off, in May 2004, when she was 18. |
| The road to recovery has been emotionally and physically hard... there were times when I thought I would never get better Kate Sheedy Kate Sheedy's full statement'Chain of violence' map | The road to recovery has been emotionally and physically hard... there were times when I thought I would never get better Kate Sheedy Kate Sheedy's full statement'Chain of violence' map |
| Speaking outside court, Miss Sheedy said she would never forget what happened to her. | Speaking outside court, Miss Sheedy said she would never forget what happened to her. |
| "I have waited for nearly four years for this day and it is hard to express how much it means to me," the former convent school head girl said. | "I have waited for nearly four years for this day and it is hard to express how much it means to me," the former convent school head girl said. |
| "The road to recovery has been emotionally and physically hard. | "The road to recovery has been emotionally and physically hard. |
| "There were times when I thought I would never get better. | "There were times when I thought I would never get better. |
| "The fact that Bellfield has been found guilty means more than I can say." | "The fact that Bellfield has been found guilty means more than I can say." |
| 'Barbaric crimes' | 'Barbaric crimes' |
| Miss McDonnell's uncle, Shane McDonnell, said: "Five years have passed since the night our beloved Marsha was so cruelly taken from this world, a girl that only had love in her heart, brutally slain by a man who only has hate in his. | Miss McDonnell's uncle, Shane McDonnell, said: "Five years have passed since the night our beloved Marsha was so cruelly taken from this world, a girl that only had love in her heart, brutally slain by a man who only has hate in his. |
| "For her family, life will never quite be the same ever again, the pain and hurt that we carry will always be there. | "For her family, life will never quite be the same ever again, the pain and hurt that we carry will always be there. |
| "It is a sentence with no remission. We welcome the news today that the man responsible for these barbaric crimes has finally been proved to be guilty, after nearly five months of having to endure the cowardly charade of innocence put forward by the defence, we at last get to see Levi Bellfield for what he truly is." | "It is a sentence with no remission. We welcome the news today that the man responsible for these barbaric crimes has finally been proved to be guilty, after nearly five months of having to endure the cowardly charade of innocence put forward by the defence, we at last get to see Levi Bellfield for what he truly is." |
| Det Ch Insp Colin Sutton, from the Metropolitan Police, said Bellfield was a clever, cunning, arrogant and very dangerous man. | Det Ch Insp Colin Sutton, from the Metropolitan Police, said Bellfield was a clever, cunning, arrogant and very dangerous man. |
| "He clearly is a dangerous man and clearly south west London in general will be a much safer place, particularly for women. | "He clearly is a dangerous man and clearly south west London in general will be a much safer place, particularly for women. |
| "This wicked series of attacks ended in 2004 when Levi Bellfield was arrested." | "This wicked series of attacks ended in 2004 when Levi Bellfield was arrested." |
| Miss Delagrange's parents, Jean Francois and Dominique, said they had attended the trial as their "way of being there in memory of our daughter". | Miss Delagrange's parents, Jean Francois and Dominique, said they had attended the trial as their "way of being there in memory of our daughter". |
| 'Short tragedy' | 'Short tragedy' |
| The couple said Bellfield had shown an "unbelievable level of arrogance" and had winked and mouthed obscenities to family members during the trial. | The couple said Bellfield had shown an "unbelievable level of arrogance" and had winked and mouthed obscenities to family members during the trial. |
| Mr Delagrange said: "This court trial has at least allowed us to understand the final page of her very short existence. | Mr Delagrange said: "This court trial has at least allowed us to understand the final page of her very short existence. |
| "Today we have arrived at the last chapter of this very short tragedy of Amelie's life." | "Today we have arrived at the last chapter of this very short tragedy of Amelie's life." |
| The jury of seven women and five men was unable to reach verdicts on two other charges. | The jury of seven women and five men was unable to reach verdicts on two other charges. |
| These were the kidnap and false imprisonment of Anna-Maria Rennie, 17, and the attempted murder of hairdresser Irma Dragoshi, 33. | These were the kidnap and false imprisonment of Anna-Maria Rennie, 17, and the attempted murder of hairdresser Irma Dragoshi, 33. |
| The Crown Prosecution Service said it would not seek a retrial on the two counts. | The Crown Prosecution Service said it would not seek a retrial on the two counts. |
| The relatives of Miss Delagrange, Miss McDonnell and Miss Sheedy held hands with supporters at the back of the court when the verdicts were read out. | The relatives of Miss Delagrange, Miss McDonnell and Miss Sheedy held hands with supporters at the back of the court when the verdicts were read out. |