Serial killer Levi Bellfield‘s jailhouse wedding has been blocked under new laws banning the most evil criminals from getting married in prison.
Bellfield will die behind bars serving two whole life sentences for killing 13-year-old Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, as well as the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.
He is thought to have made a recent application for a civil partnership with a besotted visitor, which is believed to have spurred ministers into fast-tracking legislation to take effect from Friday.
The new law, which is part of the Victims and Prisoners Act, aims to ‘deny the most heinous criminals from enjoying the important life events they callously took from their victims’, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: ‘Victims should not be tormented by seeing those who commit the most depraved crimes enjoy the moments in life that were stolen from their loved ones.
‘That is why I have acted as soon as possible to stop these marriages and give victims the support they deserve.’
It applies to those serving whole life orders. Under the old regime such prisoners could make a formal application for marriage or a civil partnership and could only be refused by a prison governor on the grounds of security concerns.
Bellfield has previously applied to marry his girlfriend and made a bid for legal aid to challenge a decision to block his marriage.
It was reported at the time by The Sun that he had won a bid to be granted up to £30,000 in legal aid after his lawyers cited the European Convention on Human Rights and the 1983 Marriage Act.
It is understood he withdrew his application to get married but had submitted a new application for a civil partnership in recent months.
Previously such prisoners could make a formal application for marriage or a civil partnership and could only be refused by a prison governor on the grounds of security concerns.
The Lord Chancellor will retain the right to permit ceremonies in the most exceptional circumstances, the MoJ said.
Bellfield received a whole life sentence for the murder of Ms McDonnell, 19, in 2003, Ms Delagrange, 22, and the attempted murder of Ms Sheedy, 18, in 2004.
He was already serving his sentence when he went on trial for killing schoolgirl Milly, who was snatched from the street walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002.
Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing the 13-year-old following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2011 and became the only prisoner in the country to be handed two whole life tariffs.
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