One of two students murdered after getting off a London bus was hit over the head three times possibly with a lump hammer, the Old Bailey has heard.
Marsha McDonnell, 19, a gap year student, died from brain damage after being struck on the head with a heavy blunt instrument in February 2003.
French student Amelie Delagrange was killed in 2004 with a blow to the head.
Levi Bellfield, 39, from west London, denies both murders and five other charges against three other women.
"These women were targeted victims of a predatory man who stalked bus stops and bus routes in vehicles looking for young women to attack"
Brian Altman, prosecuting, said a pathologist thought "a lump hammer was the possible weapon".
"The evidence suggests a rapid attack with Marsha unable to use her hands for defence."
The prosecution allege that Mr Bellfield, a wheel clamper and club doorman, killed Miss McDonnell after seeing her on a bus in Hampton, south-west London.
She was only yards away from her home when she was attacked in 2003, after a night out to the cinema with friends.
LEVI BELLFIELD CHARGES
Mr Altman alleged Mr Bellfield also killed French student Amelie Delagrange, 22, at Twickenham Green, in August 2004, and attacked three other women after seeing them on buses or near bus stops.
Mr Bellfield is also charged with the attempted murders of Irma Dragoshi, 33, and former convent school head girl Kate Sheedy, then 18.
He is also charged with causing Ms Dragoshi grievous bodily harm.
Ms Dragoshi, an Albanian-born hairdresser, was attacked in an act of "bravado" Mr Altman told the court.
Sunil Gharu, an associate of Mr Bellfield, said he was in a car with the defendant when he got out saying "watch this" before attacking Ms Dragoshi.
"Bellfield got back in the car, turned on the engine but not the lights, and drove off laughing," Mr Altman said.
Mr Altman told the jury: "You may think that when he left the car boasting 'watch this' there was an element of bravado, showing off to Gharu, demonstrating his capacity for unprovoked, wanton violence towards a woman."
However, Mr Bellfield maintains that it was Mr Gharu who got out of the black VW Golf and attacked the woman.
Mr Bellfield further denies the kidnap and false imprisonment of Anna-Maria Rennie, then 17, on 14 October 2001.
Mr Altman told the jury: "These women were targeted victims of a predatory man who stalked bus stops and bus routes in vehicles looking for young women to attack."
He alleged that a silver Vauxhall Corsa car, which Bellfield owned at the time, was caught on CCTV footage from Miss McDonnell's number 111 bus.
The trial continues.
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