'Women's blood' on Ipswich man's jacket

Blood from two women was found on a jacket worn by the man accused of killing them and three others in Suffolk, a court heard…

Blood from two women was found on a jacket worn by the man accused of killing them and three others in Suffolk, a court heard today.

DNA from forklift truck driver Steve Wright (49) was also found on the bodies of three of the victims, a jury at Ipswich Crown Court in England was told.

Prosecutor Peter Wright said the scientific evidence painted a "compelling picture" of the defendant's guilt. The chances of the DNA matches occurring by chance was one in a billion, the court heard.

"These findings point . . . to the defendant as being engaged in an active campaign of murder," he said. "A campaign that only came to an end with his arrest."

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The accused denies killing Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, whose naked bodies were found dumped at rural locations around Ipswich within the space of just 10 days in late 2006. All the women worked as prostitutes.

The jury heard how bloodstains on the defendant's yellow reflective jacket came from Ms Clennell and Ms Nicholls.

It was unsurprising that no DNA evidence was found on the bodies of Ms Nicol and Ms Adams because they had been submerged in water for weeks, the prosecution said.

Evidence was also found on two pairs of gloves taken from Mr Wright's car.

Prosecutors said one of the accused's neighbours told police that "odd noises" came from the house he shared with his partner. There were banging sounds, and the washing machine was sometimes on between midnight and 2am, the court heard.

Prosecutor Mr Peter Wright said the defendant had tried to "erase all trace" of his connection to the murders by cleaning his Ford Mondeo. The court was also told Mr Wright might have had an accomplice.

Defence lawyer Timothy Langdale said Mr Wright admits having sex with four of the five women and would not dispute the scientific evidence that links him to them.

However, the defence will argue that he was only a client of the prostitutes and had nothing to do with their deaths.