Amelie Delagrange's handbag was thrown into a river

Amelie Delagrange, 22, got off at the wrong bus stop and got lost before she was attacked in Twickenham, south-west London, in August 2004, the jury heard.

The court heard she was robbed and her possessions thrown in the River Thames.

Levi Bellfield, 39, denies Miss Delagrange's murder. He also denies another count of murder and five charges against three other women.

Brian Altman, prosecuting, said Mr Bellfield had spotted Miss Delagrange as she took a short-cut to her home along Twickenham Green and battered her over the head with a heavy object.

He then drove to Walton Bridge and threw some of her possessions into the river which were later recovered by police drivers, he said.

Amelie Delagrange's parents have been in court for the trial

Her bag contained two mobile phones, one of which was last registered with its network in the Walton area 22 minutes after she was last seen.

The court was also shown CCTV images of Miss Delagrange walking to the green and of the van said to be following her.

Mr Altman said that before Miss Delagrange was murdered, the van had been seen "cruising" the area before stopping suddenly at the green.

He told the court: "Amelie was a young female having just got off a bus having missed her bus stop. She was looking lost and was a bit tipsy.

Vulnerable target

"She was walking along alone and she had made herself a vulnerable target to a predatory male looking for someone just like her."

A local resident told police he heard the voice of a female coming from the green, the court heard.

"It was a 10-second shout which included a scream," said Mr Altman.

Mr Bellfield, a former wheel clamper and pub bouncer, also denies the murder of Marsha McDonnell, 19, two attempted murders and a kidnapping.

The prosecution allege he drove by buses and bus stops in various vehicles looking for young women to attack.