A-level girl 'run over twice and left for dead by bus stop stalker'

13 April 2012

Kate Sheedy: She was allegedly followed as she rode home on a bus

Kate Sheedy, who had just celebrated her last day at school before A-levels, was on a night bus in West London when she was allegedly spotted by Levi Bellfield.

Bellfield is said to have waited in a white people carrier with blacked-out windows as the teenager got off her bus, before running her over twice and leaving her for dead.

In the courtroom at the Old Bailey, the parents of his final victim, 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange, yesterday listened to evidence of Bellfield's appetite for indiscriminate violence against women on the second day of his trial.

He faces charges of murdering two young women and attacking three others over a three-year period in affluent areas of West and South-West London.

It is alleged that one night in May 2004 Bellfield followed the single-decker bus taking Miss Sheedy home in a Toyota people carrier.

Prosecutor Brian Altman said: "What Kate was not to then know was that the people carrier had been stalking her before she even got off the bus."

After disembarking in Isleworth, the young woman "sensed something was not right about the vehicle" and crossed the road.

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Victims: Amelie Delagrange, pictured left, and Marsha McDonnell

Mr Altman said: "As it tragically turned out, Kate's instincts about the vehicle were right.

"As she crossed and got to a traffic island, the car suddenly switched on its headlights and revved its engine.

"Then, without warning and quite deliberately, it performed a U-turn in the road and drove directly at Kate.

"She attempted to make a dash towards the pavement but the car got to her before she could avoid it.

"It struck her and drove over her but that did not suffice. It then reversed back over her before moving off."

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Last moments: Marsha McDonnell gets off a bus moments before she was attacked

Miss Sheedy suffered internal damage to her stomach and liver, a collapsed lung, a broken collar bone and spinal injuries, which needed repeated surgery.

"Although gravely injured, and in dreadful pain the young woman tried to crawl home," said Mr Altman.

"When she could go no further, she managed to call her mother on her mobile phone."

Miss Sheedy, now 21, still suffers back pain and psychological injuries.

Bellfield, 39, who also worked as a wheelclamper, is also accused of battering to death French language student Miss Delagrange and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell.

Dominique Delagrange: In court

On the evening of August 19, 2004, she was drinking with friends at Crystalz Wine Bar in Twickenham. She had three or four glasses of white wine but left at around 8.30pm because she was working the following day.

The "sensible, intelligent, independent and amicable" young woman was attacked from behind after she missed her bus and walked to her home in Twickenham.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Miss Delagrange's last journey. She was "hit by a blunt instrument and, like the others before her, left for dead", said Mr Altman.

Bellfield is also charged with attempting to murder both Miss Sheedy and hairdresser Irma Dragoshi, 34, as well as kidnapping Anna-Maria Rennie, 17.

All five women were either on buses or standing at bus stops in the moments immediately before being attacked.

In the case of Miss Dragoshi, the six feet tall, stocky Bellfield told his friends to "Watch this!" before hitting the Albanian hairdresser over the head with a blunt instrument.

He then drove away laughing from the scene in Longford, West London.

Mr Altman said: "His motive is immaterial. You may think, there was an element of bravado, showing off (to his friend) his capacity for motiveless, unprovoked and wanton acts of violence against a woman.

"You may conclude it shows what Levi Bellfield is capable of."

The jury was also told that gap year student, Miss McDonnell was hit over the head three times with a weapon similar to a lump hammer, a few yards from her home in Hampton, South-West London early hours on February 4, 2003.

Bellfield denies all the charges. The trial continues.

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