Prostitute killings accused 'victim of coincidences'

THE man accused of murdering five prostitutes today told a court that he was the unlucky victim of dozens of coincidences.

Steve Wright, 49, of Ipswich, Suffolk, said he began picking up prostitutes on streets near his home less than two weeks before vice girls started vanishing.

Wright accepted that he could have been with all the women on the nights they disappeared.

He said he had sex with four of the women and was intending to have sex with the fifth before changing his mind.

And he agreed that forensic evidence connected him to every victim's body.

But he told Ipswich Crown Court that he was not "any random psychopath" subjecting Ipswich prostitutes to "any campaign".

He said he had nothing to do with the murders – and agreed that he seemed to have been "singularly unfortunate".

Wright denies murdering Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

The naked bodies of the women, who all worked as prostitutes in Ipswich, were found in remote locations near the town between December 2 and December 12, 2006.

Detectives began an inquiry after Miss Nicol disappeared on October 30, 2006.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC suggested to Wright: "It would seem that in terms of picking up prostitutes in Ipswich you have been singularly unfortunate."

Wright replied: "It would seem so, yes."

Mr Wright then listed "coincidence" after "coincidence" relating to:
• The similarity of the women – all petite with long hair
• The fact that they disappeared shortly after Wright moved to a flat in Ipswich's red light district
• The fact that, by his own admission, Wright could have been with the women on the night they vanished
• The fact that Wright's DNA was found on three of the women's bodies
• The fact that fibres from his clothes, home or car were on all of their bodies
• The fact that blood from two of the women was on one of his coats
• The fact that Wright picked up prostitutes when his partner Pam Wright was working nights – and prostitutes appeared to vanish on nights Ms Wright was at work

Time after time Mr Wright outlined a piece of evidence and asked: "Is that a coincidence?"

More than 50 times Wright replied either, "it would seem so, yes", or "it would appear so, yes" or "if you say so, yes".