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The Crimes

Crime Files

The Crimes

Lucky escape

On 15 October 2001, Anna-Maria Rennie, 17, is waiting at a bus stop on Hospital Bridge Road, Twickenham. The young blonde girl has just had a row with her boyfriend, when Bellfield walks up to her and offers her a lift. She refuses. Enraged he grabs her and attempts an abduction. Fearing for her life she struggles free and escapes just metres from his car.

On 20 March 2002 Rachel Cowles, 11, is walking home from school in Sunbury. Bellfield pulls over and tells her he’s a new neighbour. He offers her a lift, but she refuses. He drives off, spooked by a police car driving in the opposite direction. Rachel realises her lucky escape when she notices that none of her neighbours have a red car fitting the description of the one that Bellfield was driving. Her mother calls the police.

One day later, on 21 March 2002, Amanda Jane (Milly) Dowler, 13, decides she wants some chips and gets off the train one stop early at Walton-on-Thames. Having just called her dad to say she’ll be home in 30 minutes she disappears. It takes six months to find her remains and a further nine years for Bellfield to be found guilty of her murder.

In February 2003 Marsha McDonnell, 19, is heading home to Hampton on the 111 bus after an evening out with friends. After stepping off the bus she doesn’t realise that she’s being followed by Bellfield. She walks along her quiet street and she approaches her front door she is fatally hit over the head with a lump hammer. She dies in hospital the next day.

Later in December 2003 Irma Dragoshi, 36, is waiting at a bus stop in Longford, West Drayton, when Bellfield, showing off to a friend, gets out of the car and attacks her with a blunt instrument. She survives but has no recollection of the incident due to amnesia.

In May 2004 Kate Sheedy, 18, gets off a bus in Isleworth and begins the walk home. She spots a suspicious looking people carrier parked in a side road and attempts to avoid it. As she steps into the road, the car, driven by Bellfield, runs her over. But this is not enough; he then proceeds to reverse over her, leaving Kate with life threatening injuries. She survives.

On 20 August 2004 Amelie Delagrange, 22, a blonde French student, is walking home across Twickenham Green, after missing her bus stop. Following her every move since she left the bus, is Bellfield. He hits her over the head with a blunt instrument and she falls to the ground. Later that night she dies in hospital from her injuries.