Milly Dowler disappeared as she walked home from a railway station after school in March 2002 A friend of schoolgirl Milly Dowler was the last person to see her alive before she was abducted from the street and murdered, a court heard today.
The 13-year-old disappeared nine years ago while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Her remains were found six months later.
Levi Bellfield, 42, formerly of West Drayton, west London, denies murdering and kidnapping the teenager.
The Old Bailey heard a schoolfriend of her sister Gemma saw her walking home.
Katherine Laynes, who was 15 at the time, made eye contact with Milly moments before she vanished.
“So [Katherine] looked out for her on the same side she had seen her walking, but she wasn’t there”
Prosecuter Brian Altman QC
Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, said Milly had gone to a cafe at Walton-on-Thames railway station after leaving Heathside School in Weybridge on 21 March 2002.
Katherine was sitting at a bus stop in Station Avenue when she saw Milly walking alone, wearing her school uniform and carrying her rucksack.
Mr Altman said: “She was alone at the bus stop. She thought she was at the stop for about 10 minutes when she saw Milly Dowler walking along on the opposite side of the road.
“According to Katherine, they made eye contact.”
Mr Altman said Milly walked to Katherine’s left, crossing the entrance to the station car park.
Bellfield is also accused of trying to abduct an 11-year-old girl the day before Milly disappeared But she lost sight of her when the advertising board side of the bus shelter obscured her vision.
Katherine’s bus arrived at the stop within a couple of minutes of Milly disappearing from her view, Mr Altman said.
“The older girl boarded her bus and was the only passenger on board.
“As the bus moved off, she expected to see Milly again in Station Avenue, continuing her walk.
“So she looked out for her on the same side she had seen her walking, but she wasn’t there.”
The Old Bailey has heard Bellfield, a former wheelclamper, had rented a flat “literally just yards away from the spot where Milly was last seen alive”.
CCTV showed a red car Bellfield was using at the time leaving the area within 22 minutes of Milly’s abduction, prosecutors said.
Bellfield denies Milly’s kidnap and murder.
He also denies the attempted kidnap of 11-year-old Rachel Cowles in Shepperton, Surrey, the day before Milly disappeared.
Bellfield was convicted at the Old Bailey in 2008 of attacks on women in west London over a period of just over two years.
He killed Marsha McDonnell, 19, in February 2003 and Amelie Delagrange, 22, in August 2004, by striking them on the head with a blunt instrument.
In May 2004, he attempted to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, by deliberately running her over in a car.
The trial continues.
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