Killer Dennehy laughed and smiled as she entered court

Serial killer Joanna Dennehy, who murdered three men before randomly selecting and repeatedly stabbing two others last year, laughed and smiled as she arrived in the dock to be sentenced.

The 31-year-old was wearing a pink Adidas vest top, which revealed visible scarring to her upper arms, and looked relaxed as she was led into London's Old Bailey.

She interrupted her own mitigation to talk to one of her barristers, repeatedly shaking her head in apparent displeasure.

Nigel Lickley QC, representing Dennehy, said she recognised her crimes were "exceptionally serious" and added that the serial killer had not intended to "embarrass or humiliate" her victims.

He said: "The three men who were killed were not strangers to her. They were killed by a limited number of stab wounds. In essence the crimes are aggravated by the number of offences and the attempted murders."