Update: Paramedics found Marsha in pool of blood (From Your Local Guardian)

Update: Paramedics found Marsha in pool of blood

11:05am Thursday 25th October 2007 in News By Chris Wickham

Paramedics who tried to save the life of teenager Marsha McDonnell found her lying face down in a pool of blood, the Old Bailey was told.

Brian Altman, leading the prosecution of Levi Bellfield for the murder of the 19-year-old, told the court Marsha was found lying on the pavement yards from her home in Priory Road, Hampton, in the early hours of February 4, 2003.

She died the following day in hospital with her parents at her bedside.

Bellfield, 39, of West Drayton, denies the murder of Marsha and French student Amelie Delegrange on Twickenham Green in August 2004.

He also denies two charges of attempted murder, and charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Mr Altman said Marsha had gone out with two friends to see a film in Kingston on the night of February 3. After the film she caught a 111 bus home to Hampton on her own.

She was found lying face down on the pavement and moaning at about 12.20am on February 4, minutes after getting off the bus.

The court heard statements from a paramedic and PC Katie Weston, who both arrived moments after Marsha was found by a couple.

Mr Altman, reading the paramedic's statement, said: "We saw a person lying face down on the pavement with a white duvet covering her, a white female was crouched next to her.

"She was lying in a pool of blood on the pavement with her hands underneath her.

"I couldn't establish where the blood was coming from, she was breathing and she had a pulse and I was shouting out to her but there was no response.

"We sat her up but she was rigid which told me she had a serious head injury but neither my colleague or myself could determine the exact location of the blood loss."

The paramedic felt Marsha was deteriorating and transferred her to Kingston Hospital where she was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Mr Altman told the court the doctor in charge of the unit said Marsha had several skull fractures and areas of bleeding in and around her brain.

The jury heard she was in a deep coma and continued to deteriorate until she died the following afternoon.

Today the court heard from Robin Deacon who had been living in Priory Road with his mum at the time of Marsha's murder.

Mr Deacon was sleeping in the front bedroom and told the court he was woken by a car wheel spinning sometime between falling asleep at 11pm and waking at 6.30am on February 4, 2003.

The court also heard from Glyn Barrett, from Welcome Financial Services, who provided the finance for Bellfield for a silver Vauxhall Corsa in 2002 through direct car finance trading as Approved Car Finance in Worton Road, Isleworth.

The prosecution claims this car can be seen on CCTV around the time of Marsha's attack.

The jury also heard Bellfield allegedly sold the car to Sean James, a mechanic from West Drayton, who then passed it on to his friend later in February 2003.

The trial continues.