Serial killer believed he would escape justice
In a mocking gesture, notorious killer Levi Bellfield applauded when he was first remanded in custody by magistrates.
The object of his scorn was prosecutor Andrew Hadik who had just taken on the case that was to rank as one of the most complex and challenging of his CPS London career.
"He was arrogant. It was as if he was saying, 'Well done. Now prove it'," said Andrew, special casework lawyer, Complex Casework Centre.
Three years later - in February - Bellfield's defiance deserted him. Convicted of murdering two women and attempting to murder a schoolgirl after a four-month trial at the Old Bailey, he refused to leave his cell to appear at his sentencing.
The former night-club bouncer, seen lounging in his chair, indifferent to police questioning, was jailed for a full life term.
He joined 36 other notorious killers, including Moors murderer Ian Brady, who will die behind bars.
He was found guilty of killing Marsha McDonnell, 19, and Amelie Delagrange, 22, and attempting to murder 18-year-old Kate Sheedy.
The jury was unable to reach verdicts on four counts relating to attacks on two other women.
Andrew, who first became involved in the case in January 2005, authorised all the charges and provided advice to police investigating further rapes and assaults, which were never charged.
He said: "We had to guide the jury through a huge and complex investigation full of distressing detail.
"The evidence we decided to present in court was the tip of the iceberg compared with what we had to disclose to the defence."
All told, the prosecution used nearly 17,500 pages of evidence. Unused material, including statements, amounted to more than 30,700 separate items.
Andrew, left, who was praised by the Director of Public Prosecutions for his work on the case, said: "Keeping such a huge case under control and having to review and manage it was very challenging.
"We spent weeks in Putney Police Station going through material for disclosure reasons.
"This is particularly important when you are dealing with a case such as this, which relied so much on circumstantial evidence."
Andrew said it was one of the largest cases he had handled, involving "a continuous dialogue" with police over a three-year period.
He praised caseworkers Sam Moulson and Heather Campbell for their assistance.