Ipswich Truckie In Court On Five Murder Charges
Sun Herald
Sunday December 24, 2006
A TRUCK driver who lives in the red-light district of Ipswich has appeared in court charged with murdering five prostitutes whose naked bodies were found over 10 days in eastern England.
At the brief hearing in Ipswich Magistrates Court, Steven Wright, 48, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth before he was remanded in custody, to appear for a court hearing on January 2. His lawyer, Paul Osler, did not ask for bail.After a manhunt that filled newspapers and television screens for weeks and drew hundreds of officers and other experts to the area, police arrested Wright on Tuesday and charged him on Thursday.Police expressed concern that intense media coverage could jeopardise the case, and Britain's Attorney-General warned journalists to report it responsibly.There was a heavy police presence outside the courthouse during Wright's hearing. The suspect was taken to and from the court under tight security in a police van escorted by police cars and motorcycles, while dozens of photographers pressed behind crowd control barriers.Prosecutor Robert Sadd gave a quick outline of the case to magistrates. Another prosecutor, Michael Crimp, said yesterday there was "sufficient evidence" to charge Wright with the murders of Gemma Adams, 25; Tania Nicol, 19; Anneli Alderton, 24; Paula Clennell, 24; and Annette Nicholls, 29 - who had worked as prostitutes at Ipswich and whose bodies were found in quick succession beginning on December 2."As the case has developed, we have been carefully examining and assessing the evidence in order to come to a charging decision at the earliest possible opportunity," Mr Crimp said. Police arrested Wright at 5am on Tuesday at his home near where several of the women were last seen. Police also seized Wright's car, a dark blue Ford Mondeo.Members of the local golf community told the media Wright would play most weekends, and would occasionally frequent club bars. Those who knew him said he was quiet and tended to keep his own counsel.A 37-year-old man, identified in news reports as Tom Stephens, who had been arrested in the case on Monday, was released on bail without charge pending further inquiries.Inquests into the deaths of the women have been formally opened and then adjourned, as is usual in British legal procedure.Police said Alderton was strangled, and a senior pathologist determined Clennell died of "compression" to her neck. Police refused to elaborate on that. Post-mortem examinations of the bodies of Nicol, Nicholls and Adams reached no conclusion on the cause of death.Police have said Wright could be questioned over the murders of other prostitutes in the area, going back 14 years.
© 2006 Sun Herald
