Wright admits sexual relations with prostitutes

A forklift truck driver accused of murdering five prostitutes will not dispute that fibres and DNA linked to him were found on their bodies, his defence team said.

Timothy Langdale QC, defending, said Steve Wright, 49, admits having sex with four of the five women.

But he said he had not had intercourse with Tania Nicol.

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

Earlier, prosecutor Peter Wright QC told the jury that no DNA was recovered from the bodies of Miss Nicol and Miss Adams, the first two women to be found.

But samples matching Wright's genetic profile were taken from Miss Alderton, Miss Clennell and Miss Nicholls.

Mr Wright said: "It is, we submit, hardly surprising that no DNA was found on either Tania Nicol or Gemma Adams.

"These women had been immersed in water - in the case of Tania Nicol for approximately five weeks, and in the case of Gemma Adams for over two weeks.

"Any DNA that may have been on their bodies would, we suggest, have long since gone.

"In respect of the remaining three women, a detailed examination was undertaken."

The women's corpses were discovered in isolated locations around Ipswich over 10 days in December 2006, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Two of them had been arranged with their arms outstretched in a crucifix pose.

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