Porn | Milly Dowler Trial: Porn Hoard Made Father The Prime Suspect

By Paul Harris

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Double killer Levi Bellfield accused of teen's murder

Milly Dowler's father became prime suspect in the murdered schoolgirl's disappearance after police found ‘extreme' porn and bondage gear at the family home, it was revealed yesterday.

Bob Dowler feared she may have run away or killed herself after discovering his secret – and lied to detectives about what he was doing that day.

The distraction ‘wasted valuable time' in the search for the missing 13-year-old and hindered the police investigation, a court heard.

It meant the focus was on him instead of the man now accused of her murder – convicted serial killer Levi Bellfield.

Mr Dowler's extraordinary admission about his fetish, and the impact it must have had on Milly when she discovered a magazine in his bedroom, came as the 59-year-old former IT recruitment specialist was cross-examined at the Old Bailey.

There were further startling revelations. Jurors heard how Milly had left a tormented farewell letter in her bedroom after apparently deciding to take her own life.

She addressed it to her parents and signed herself ‘your little disappointment', telling them it would have been better if they had aborted her or had her adopted.

The schoolgirl also penned a bitter and self-loathing poem in which she claimed everyone hated her.

And she wrote a note to a friend in which she referred to ‘the whole dad thing' – a reference, it was suggested yesterday, to the ‘distressing' discovery that her father was into bondage and pornography.

Yesterday Mr Dowler broke down in tears as the poignant notes were read to the court.

Bellfield,43, who denies kidnap and murder, watched silently from the dock as Milly's father was forced to admit that a search of the family's Surrey home uncovered porn magazines and videos in various rooms and a box of bondage equipment in the attic. Among the items recovered were a rubber hood, a ball-gag and magazines.

Mr Dowler later confirmed that hiswife of 17 years, Sally, a teacher at Milly's school, had ‘absolutely no idea' about it – and how he was forced to confess to her after warning police what they would find in the house.

The clearly painful public admissions about his private life were made after he relived the events of March 21, 2002, the day his daughter disappeared.

He had hugged and kissed her goodbye as she set off for school – and never saw her again.

Her skeletal remains were not found until six months later, 25 miles away at the spot where her killer dumped the body.

The court has previously heard she vanished ‘in the blink of an eye' after walking home from school.

Speakingin a low, sometimes hesitant voice, Mr Dowler told how Milly had phonedhim that afternoon to say she was with a schoolgirl friend and would beabout half an hour late.

He was working from home that afternoon after coming back early and was making a series of phone calls with the door shut.

Althoughhe heard Milly's older sister Gemma come in, it wasn't until Mrs Dowlercame back that he realised Milly was not with her.

His wife, whowas leaving to babysit for her brother in the evening, came into the room while he was on the phone. She put a note on the desk to say she was going out, adding: ‘Where's Milly?'

Mr Dowler left two messages on Milly's mobile phone – and admitted his first reaction was ‘absolute anger' that she had not come home.

Using her proper name he shouted: ‘Where the f*** is Amanda?' Then it turned to fear as he realised how late it was.

Hetelephoned Milly's friend while his wife rang a local hospital, then called police. Later he went out in his car to look for her. But by then, the jury has been told, she had already been abducted and was almost certainly dead.

Cross-examined by Jeffrey Samuels QC, Mr Dowler agreed he was the focus of police attention in the early days of the investigation. But he omitted to tell police his exact movements that day.

In fact, he later confirmed to the jury, he had become aroused by flicking through porn magazines at a motorway service stationbefore going home.

The subsequent discovery of his bondage equipment led police to suspect him. Mr Samuels said: ‘They were suggesting you may have had something to do with your own daughter's disappearance, weren't they?'

Later Mrs Dowlertold the jury Milly had pointed out the porn to her. ‘She was taken aback by it. I said to her, "It doesn't mean Daddy doesn't love me".'

ButMr Dowler said he didn't think his daughter had found his bondage gear,earlier telling police: ‘If she had come across those materials I have no doubt that she would have been very distressed.'

It was irresponsible of him, he said, and ‘a complete betrayal of her as a father'.

The trial continues.