Killer Bellfield makes appeal bid

Bellfield stalked lone women at bus stops

A former nightclub bouncer who was given a whole life sentence for murdering two women is to appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Lawyers for Levi Bellfield, 39, from West Drayton, west London, lodged an application seeking leave to appeal earlier this month.

Bellfield bludgeoned Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19, in south-west London in 2003 and 2004.

He was also found guilty of trying to kill Kate Sheedy, when she was 18.

Police suspect him of carrying out 20 other attacks on women, including date rapes.

Milly suspect

He is also the main suspect in the murder of Milly Dowler, who went missing on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey on 21 March 2002.

Her body was found in Yateley Heath, Hampshire, six months later.

During his trial at the Old Bailey in London 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 Delagrange died from severe head injuries in August 2004.

She was attacked on Twickenham Green when she was walking home after missing her bus stop.

Extensive injuries

Miss Sheedy suffered extensive injuries when she got off a bus and was hit by a car being driven by Bellfield in May 2004, when she was 18.

He reversed back over her before driving off.

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.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it would not seek a retrial on the two counts.