Justice catches up with a killer

Midnight: Elizabeth Amlot celebrates with fellow churchgoers at an organised New Year's Eve party held at St Barnabas Church, Holden Road, Woodside Park.

New Year's Day, 2001

1.30am: A white man in his 60s is seen driving his dark saloon car by the railway bridge on Holden Road. He stops the vehicle and gets out to help Miss Amlot who has fallen over on the pavement and has banged her head. He stays with her to make sure she is alright before returning to his car and driving off. This witness has never come forward.

1.45am: Residents hear screams in the area of the attack.

2.07am: Dog walker Roman Unterhofer finds Miss Amlot half naked and barely alive in a nearby alleyway. At first he believes her body is a dummy or doll dressed up as a New Year's joke. As he moves closer he is horrified to discover her lips are moving and he recognises her.

Trainee chef Stephen Dickson, 22, from Barnet, saw the killer in Woodside Grove just after he had assaulted Ms Amlot and innocently wished him a Happy New Year.

Balci swore at him before forcing him at knifepoint to withdraw £170 from a cashpoint and marching him to his home where Balci stole his Christmas presents, some CDs and videos and a set of chef knives.

He then forced his victim to walk towards some flats in Holden Avenue where he saw some girls on an upstairs balcony. Balci pretended to be a police officer investigating a noise complaint but the girls refused to let him in.

January 4, 2001

Miss Amlot is still unconscious in Barnet Hospital after being found battered and partially clothed just two hours into the New Year. Police have sealed off the area and are searching the surrounding roads and nearby Woodside Park Tube line. Detective Inspector Stuart Macleod, leading the investigation at this stage, says he is keeping an open mind about whether there is a sexual element to the attack.

February 8, 2001

Detectives launch a murder hunt after Miss Amlot dies from her injuries in Barnet Hospital at 4am on February 4. Vicar John Coles of St Barnabas Church, Holden Road, where Miss Amlot had enjoyed a New Year's Eve party before the attack, pays special tribute to the regular churchgoer.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by Liz's violent death," he said. "She had not always had an easy life and didn't always feel accepted by her contemporaries but she loved children. Our last memories of her are as part of our church family as we celebrated the New Year together."

February 15, 2001

Barnet Police reveal Miss Amlot died as a result of serious head injuries. Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Kavanagh, who is leading the murder hunt, reveals detectives are contacting members of St Barnabas Church with whom Miss Amlot had spent the evening. Two men in their 20s, one of whom lives in the borough, are arrested in connection with the murder and bailed to appear at Hendon Magistrates Court on March 19

March 1, 2001

Miss Amlot's brother, Philip, 32, from Finchley makes an emotional appeal to the public begging for help to find her killer and retraces the steps his sister took along the alleyway where her battered body was found.

He bravely reads from a prepared statement: "As a family we're devastated and at a loss without her. Nobody deserves this to happen to them. She has been brought up in this area and felt totally secure about walking home alone and had no fears about personal safety.

"It's so difficult to understand or comprehend but I would urge anyone who knows who did this to consider how they would feel if it was their own sister or daughter who was dead."

March 5, 2001

Sertan Balci, 20, of Woodside Avenue, North Finchley, is arrested near Woodside Park Tube station in connection with the murder inquiry and is bailed to return to Hendon Magistrates Court on April 24, 2001. However, he is then re-arrested and taken to Colindale Police Station and charged with Liz's murder.

March 14, 2001

Balci appears at Hendon Magistrates Court. Looking tired and withdrawn he appears briefly in court before being remanded in custody. His case is immediately transferred to the Old Bailey where he is due to appear on March 23.

January 30, 2002

Balci stands at the Old Bailey on day one of the trial. He admits mugging and kicking Miss Amlot but denies murder. Dog walker Roman Unterhofer, is called to the stand where he reveals to the bench how he found Miss Amlot barely alive. Prosecuting, Nicholas Hilliard reveals horrifying details on her condition when she was found. "Her face and head were swollen and there was a lot of blood in her head," he said. "On her body were what looked like footprints." Jurors also hear how the victim's pants were pulled to her knees and her bra is missing.

January 31, 2002

Forensics expert, Dr Kamel De Soyza, reveals forensics tests on Balci's bloodstained designer trainers provide a one in a billion match with Miss Amlot's DNA. Balci's friend, Michael Brown, reveals "Jason" as he knew him, told him what he had done when he went back to Mr Brown's home after the attack.

He tells the court how Balci says he left her "half dead" having beaten her up. Mr Brown also reveals Balci later took him to the spot where he attacked Miss Amlot. Her bloodstained clothing is also shown as evidence.

February 8, 2002

Balci is found guilty of Liz's murder at the Old Bailey. There are cries from the public gallery of "oh my God, thank you" when the unanimous verdict is announced. Outside court Liz's brother Philip says: "We feel justice has been done. It won't bring Liz back but it's obvious that the right choice has been made by the jury."

February 11, 2002

Judge Roberts gives Balci life in prison for Liz's murder. He also gives him a sentence of eight years to run concurrently for a burglary committed soon after his attack on Ms Amlot, in which Balci impersonated a police officer and robbed and injured a young man at knifepoint.

Detective Inspector Martin Johnson says after sentencing: "Balci's an extremely dangerous man and clearly the type of sentence he received is necessary to protect the public from him for a lengthy period of time."