03 February 2024 , 12:10
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The wedding of serial killer Levi Bellfield, who is serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland, has been called off.
The former wheel clamper is serving life in prison for murdering 13-year-old Milly Dowler, 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange, locked up alongside fellow murderers Ian Huntley and Wayne Couzens.
Despite winning a costly legal fight allowing him to marry, the 55-year-old has scrapped his wedding plans, with sources suggesting that Bellfield and his betrothed realised neither of them would enjoy a full, proper relationship.
The woman was also said to be worried about his name appearing next to hers on any marriage certificate if she went through with the ceremony. Last night Bellfield's fiancée confirmed the nuptials would no longer occur, claiming she only agreed to marry him so he could wear a ring in his cell.
The anonymous woman told MailOnline: "When [the prison] continued to refuse to allow Levi to wear the ring we felt as if we had no choice. But we won't be getting married. It's a joint decision. Levi is gutted but he's far more upset that he won't be able to wear the ring I've got for him."
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The pair have now officially told prison officials they no longer have any intention to marry (REX/Shutterstock)She added: "I will continue with my visits and continue to try and get the ring allowed." The pair have told prison officials they don't intend to marry, which brings their story to an expensive close.
The murderer was initially introduced to his fiancée through the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, who was friends with the woman. The pair were on the same wing in Durham's HMP Frankland. He asked to be put in touch with the woman, who is in her forties, after seeing her picture in Sutcliffe's cells.
Details of their engagement were revealed in May 2022 after Levi asked the woman to marry him during a prison visit. It caused a great deal of outrage, with the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson claiming he was "sickened and appalled" by the idea of the serial killer getting married behind bars.
Anger further grew when it emerged that Bellfield had won a taxpayer-funded legal battle over his right to marry. He secured the right to be granted up to £30,000 on Legal Aid after his lawyers threatened a Judicial Review and cited the European Convention on Human Rights and the 1983 Marriage Act.
Former Justice Minister Dominic Raab launched a Victims and Prisoners bill – currently going through parliament – which will remove the right of whole-life tariff inmates to wed.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told MirrorOnline: "Prisoners who have committed the most heinous crimes should not be able get married. That’s why we are introducing new laws to block those on whole-life orders from doing so."
Currently, Bellfield is serving two whole-life orders for a killing spree in London from 2002 to 2004. He is serving two whole-life tariffs and is held at Category A Frankland Prison, County Durham.