UK: Motive for prostitute murders 'might never be known'

It might never be known what drove a forklift truck driver to embark on a “campaign of murder” in which he allegedly killed five prostitutes, a court heard today.

However, forensic evidence links Steve Wright, 49, to their deaths “beyond coincidence”, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

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

Closing the Crown’s opening statement, prosecutor Peter Wright QC told the jury: “As to what drives a man to embark upon a campaign such as this, we may never know.

“But we submit that one thing you can be certain of from the evidence in this case is that in late October 2006 something caused Steve Gerald James Wright to engage in such a campaign, and that he is guilty of the murder of each of these women.”

The former pub landlord 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.