Levi Bellfield

Levi Bellfield thought he was God’s gift to women. And if you didn’t believe that, well a good whack with a hammer might change your mind.

Levi Bellfield | Hammer Man

Levi Bellfield | The Bus Stop Killer | The Hammer Man

British Murderer

Full Name: Levi Rabetts Bellfield
Alias/Nickname: None widely used, sometimes called the Bus Stop Stalker or Hammer Man
Date of Birth: May 17, 1968
Place of Birth: Isleworth, West London, England
Height: 5 ft 7 in
Background: British of Romani Gypsy descent; raised on a council estate
Occupation: Former bouncer, wheel clamper, car dealer
Criminal Record Before Murders: Assault, theft, burglary, and driving offences
Victims (Confirmed Murders): 3
Marsha McDonnell (2003)
Amélie Delagrange (2004)
Milly Dowler (2002)
Other Attacks: Multiple attempted murders and hammer attacks against women
Years Active (Murder Spree): 2002 – 2004
Arrest Date: November 22, 2004
Conviction(s):
2008 – Murders of McDonnell & Delagrange, attempted murder of Kate Sheedy
2011 – Murder of Milly Dowler
Sentence: Life imprisonment with a whole life order (no possibility of release)
Current Location: HMP Frankland, County Durham, England
Family: Four marriages, father of 11 children with five women

Classification & Characteristics

Levi Bellfield is classified as a power-control serial killer, a predator who thrived on domination and humiliation of women. Unlike lust-driven killers such as Dahmer, Bellfield’s motive stemmed from misogyny and violent control impulses. His weapon of choice—the hammer—became his signature, delivering sudden, brutal attacks on unsuspecting women near bus stops, streets, and suburban areas.

Criminologists note Bellfield’s profile as a blend of organized stalking and opportunistic violence. He prowled neighborhoods, identifying vulnerable targets, and struck swiftly, often leaving communities paralyzed with fear. His attacks carried no elaborate ritual or postmortem compulsion; instead, they reflected raw aggression, territorial control, and predatory entitlement. Bellfield’s history of domestic abuse, manipulation, and intimidation of partners underscores his classification as a psychopathic predator, whose murders were an extension of lifelong violence against women.

The Bus Stop Killer

The Story

Levi Bellfield was born Levi Rabetts in 1968. He is a British murderer who became known as the Bus Stop Stalker and the Hammer Man.

He is a former nightclub bouncer and manager of a car clamping business who was convicted on February 25th, 2008 of murdering Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange.

He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.

Early Life of Levi Bellfield

Levi Rabetts was born in Isleworth, West London, to Jean and Joseph Rabetts and is of Romani gypsy descent.

When Levi was just eight, his father died of a heart attack. He has two brothers and a sister, and several step siblings. They were brought up on a West London estate by their mother, the family matriarch, who was herself an arrogant and pride filled woman who passed these traits onto Levi, planting a deep seated belief in him that he was superior to others. And his arrogance only grew larger with age.

Levi Bellfield attended Crane Junior School, Hampton and Feltham Comprehensive. He came to the attention of police when he hit his teenage years. His first conviction was for burglary in 1981. He was convicted of assaulting a police officer in 1990. Levi also had convictions for theft and driving offences. He was arrested for car thefts, carrying offensive weapons and credit card fraud. By 2002, he had nine convictions. He quit school at 16 and became a nightclub doorman for venues across West London.

Date Rape

It is believed that while in the position of a nightclub bouncer, Levi Bellfield used his wit and charm to attract women to himself. He was suspected of numerous attacks on young women who were drugged and raped, yet none of the evidence was ever strong enough to convict him of a crime.

He was known to keep a separate flat for the sole purpose of taking intoxicated girls back to after he had drugged them in order to rape them.

A former friend once described Levi as “some kind of animal” after Bellfield invited him to join him in these date rape attacks on young women. The actual number of women this man has drugged, attacked, abused and raped is still unknown. He actively hunted for victims, purposely targeting blonde women, who he seemed to have a particular hatred for.

Levi Bellfield

In an interview with the media, Detective Chief Insp Colin Sutton of the Metropolitan Police, who led the murder hunt, described him in some detail: “When we started dealing with him he came across as very jokey, like he’s your best mate. But he’s a cunning individual, violent. He can switch from being nice to being nasty, instantly.”

Detectives tracked down a number of Levi’s ex-girlfriends, all of whom described a similar pattern of behavior once they got involved with him. “Levi was lovely at first, charming, then completely controlling and evil.” A couple of weeks into the relationship he would take the woman’s cell phone and exchange it for one that contained only his number, saying it was all she needed. He would then stop her from seeing friends, parents or going out without his permission. And he would constantly phone to check what she was doing.

One former girlfriend said that following an argument he told her to sit on a stool in the kitchen and not move. He went to bed and she sat there all night. D.S. Brunt said: “We asked her what she did about going to the toilet and she said she would rather wet herself than have moved from that stool. That shows how frightened they were of him.”

Levi Bellfield was married four times and had 11 children!

Oddly Close

Levi Bellfield’s relationship with his own mother however was a completely different story.

Levi dotted on his mother and people who knew them said they were ‘oddly’ close. It is rumored that Levi slept with his mother until he was 13 years old and she gave him anything he wanted. She also determined her son was being framed by the law and that Levi was, and still is, innocent of all charges brought against him. “It’s a troubling relationship,” said Detective Sutton.

Jean Bellfield died at the age of 81 on December 10th in 2017, still believing her son had done no wrong.

At the time of the attacks, Levi Bellfield ran a wheel-clamping business which operated in the western suburbs of London. He sometimes made a good living at this and while giving evidence at the Old Bailey he explained to the jury how to succeed in the clamping business. Police officers could only make conjectures about motivation, as Levi Bellfield maintained his innocence throughout.

Detective Sutton had his own theory: “He (Levi Bellfield) has a massive ego to feed, he thinks he’s God’s gift to everyone. He drives around in his car, feels a bit ‘whatever’ and sees some young blonde girl. Young blonde girl says ‘go away’ and he thinks ‘you dare to turn down Levi Bellfield. You’re worth nothing’ and then she gets a whack over the head. (enter Hammer Man)

Detective Sutton explained his own theory: “He has a massive ego to feed, he thinks he’s God’s gift to everyone. He drives around in his car, feels a bit ‘whatever’ and sees some young blonde girl. Young blonde girl says ‘go away’ and he thinks ‘you dare to turn down Levi Bellfield, you’re worth nothing’ and then she gets a whack over the head.

“It is shown in the case of Kate Sheedy. She was smart enough to think she didn’t like the look of his car and crosses the road. He thinks ‘you think you’re so clever’ and whoosh, he runs her over.”

Bus Stop Killer

While he was under police surveillance, Levi Bellfield was seen driving around in his van, talking to young girls at bus stops. Sutton’s theory is also suggested in the timing of Amelie Delagrange’s last movements.

CCTV cameras showed her walking towards Twickenham Green after she missed her stop on the bus home. She slowed her pace between the last two sightings, around the time Levi Bellfield passed her in his van. Sutton said she probably stopped to speak to him. Within minutes he had attacked her and left her to die. Bellfield claimed that it was no coincidence that all his victims were of a similar appearance. His last girlfriend, Emma Mills, told police Bellfield always chased after small blonde girls with large breasts.

The Victims of Levi Bellfield

Levi Bellfield victim — Marsha McDonnell

Marsha McDonnell

Marsha Louise McDonnell died in hospital after being beaten over the head with a blunt instrument. She is believed to have been killed just after she got off the 111 bus from Kingston upon Thames at the stop on Percy Road.

Kate Sheedy

Kate Sheedy, then aged 18, was run over as she crossed the road near an entrance to an industrial estate in Isleworth on 28 May 2004. She survived, but suffered multiple injuries and spent several weeks in hospital. She went on to give evidence against Levi Bellfield when he was tried with her attempted murder nearly four years later.

Amelie Delagrange

Amelie Delagrange (2 February 1982 – 19 August 2004) was a French student visiting the UK. She was found at Twickenham Green on an evening with serious head injuries. She died in hospital the same night. Within 24 hours, the police established that she may have been killed by the same person who had killed Marsha McDonnell 18 months earlier. Levi Bellfield reportedly confessed to the murder while on remand.

Other Charges for Levi Bellfield

Levi Bellfield was also charged with abduction and false imprisonment of 17 year old Anna-Marie Rennie at Whitton on October 14, 2001, after she identified him in a video identity parade four years later. He was also charged with the attempted murder of Irma Dragoshi (then aged 39) on December 16, 2003. The jury failed to reach verdicts on either of these charges.

Possible Other Victims

Detective Sutton said: “We looked at a dozen crimes in West London and we have not been able to eliminate Levi Bellfield from any of them. I fear we may have only scratched the surface.”

One case police are revisiting and are reportedly questioning Levi Bellfield about is that of Amanda (Milly) Dowler, a 13 year old girl who went missing in Walton-on-Thames on March 21, 2002. She was found dead in Hampshire six months later.

In August 2009, Police submitted a dossier to the CPS. It contained evidence regarding Bellfield’s alleged involvement in the murder of Dowler. The CPS would have to assess the dossier and decide whether to charge Levi Bellfield with Dowler’s murder.

Then, on March 30,2010, Levi Bellfield was officially charged with the kidnap and murder of Milly Dowler. Likewise the attempted kidnap of then 12 year old Rachel Cowles on March 20, 2002.

Conviction and Imprisonment

Levi Bellfield was sentenced to life in prison with a recommendation that he should never be released.

source: murderpedia | wikipedia | WickedWe.com

📚 Additional Resources

🎥 Documentaries – The power-control serial killer

“BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer” (A&E, 2022)
- A chilling two-part documentary centered on Dennis Rader. It explores his desire for power and control, featuring interviews and his own writings that highlight how he fit this category.
“The Jeffrey Dahmer Files” (2012)
- Though Dahmer straddles lust and control motivations, this documentary includes psychological commentary on how his need to dominate and keep victims aligned with power/control dynamics.
“Catching Killers” (Netflix, Season 1, Episodes on BTK and Gacy)
- A docuseries where investigators recount how they profiled and caught killers like BTK and Gacy, showing how power and control were central to their crimes.

📚 Further Reading / Watching

Serial Murderers and Their Victims by Eric W. Hickey
- A criminology classic often used in academic courses. It covers all major typologies, with clear emphasis on power/control offenders such as BTK and Gacy, showing how domination and control define their crimes.
Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert K. Ressler
- Written by one of the FBI’s original profilers, Ressler explains how the Behavioral Science Unit developed typologies like power/control. The book includes real case investigations that shaped modern understanding of this classification.
Inside the Mind of BTK by John Douglas and Johnny Dodd
- Focused on Dennis Rader (BTK), one of the most notorious power/control killers. It provides deep psychological analysis and insight into the compulsions, planning, and domination that defined his murders.

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Related WickedWe Cases

This page is part of the WickedWe True Crime Archive – a resource for researchers, students, and true crime enthusiasts seeking verified facts, case records, and deeper historical context.

Psychology Today – “Serial Homicide for Power and Control”
- This article by criminologist Scott A. Bonn explains what “power/control” motivation means in serial murder. It highlights how killers such as BTK, Gary Ridgway, and John Wayne Gacy fit this type, and it breaks down the behaviors that mark them — including stalking, torture, and domination.
- 👉 Read here
Herald Open Access – “Serial Murder: Power, Control and Social Domains”
- An open-access research article that looks at the theme of power and control in serial killers through a social and psychological lens. It explores how these killers use violence to dominate and control, and how this behavior intersects with their environment and mental state.
- 👉 Read here
Office of Justice Programs (OJP) – “Profiles in Terror: The Serial Murderer”
- A foundational academic paper by Ronald M. Holmes that categorizes serial killers into four main motivational types: visionary, mission-oriented, hedonistic, and power/control. It provides clear definitions, case examples, and statistical insights into how this classification is used in criminology.
- 👉 Read here

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Levi Bellfield | The Bus Stop Killer | The Hammer Man | Sadist