From today’s Times
Levi Bellfield’s confession to Lin and Megan Russell murders ‘is a sick joke’
February 07 2022, 12.01am
Levi Bellfield’s confession to the murders of Lin and Megan Russell is a “sick joke”, it was reported yesterday, as police reviewed evidence from two new witnesses who have come forward since the serial killer’s disclosure of details about the crime.
According to The Sun, the witnesses contacted police after she recognised Bellfield, now 53, in media reports. She is also said to have identifieed him during a virtual parade.
In the alleged confession, Bellfield said he saw a woman as he drove away from the murder scene. He said: “As I left, I pulled out in front of [a] lady. I kept looking in the rear-view mirror at her.”
The other witness, according to the newspaper, claims that a prisoner, Damien Daley has admitted making up a story about Stone, now 61, having confessed to the murders.
It comes amid fresh doubt over Bellfield’s alleged confession and four-page apology, which has been passed to a criminal convictions watchdog by lawyers acting for Stone. According to the Sunday Mirror, a source claimed that Bellfield, now known as Yusuf Rahim after converting to Islam, is now denying the murders. The source said: “Bellfield is a narcissist who loves the limelight, he’s now saying he just wanted to mess with Stone’s legal team.”
They added that Bellfield’s confession was a “sick joke”. The former detective Colin Sutton, who helped secure three convictions against him including for the murder of the Milly Dowler, told The Times last week that Bellfield’s confession should be treated with an “immense amount of caution”.
Lin Russell, 45, and Megan, six, were attacked with a claw hammer as they walked along a country lane in July 1996. Megan’s sister Josie, then nine, survived.
Stone has served 24 years in jail but always denied involvement. His original conviction in 1998 was quashed because of concerns about a witness. He was convicted again in 2001.
