'No comment' from Suffolk accused

Steve Wright was questioned over the deaths of the five women

The man accused of murdering five women answered only "no comment" during eight hours of questioning, a court heard.

Steve Wright was interviewed by police on 10 occasions over two days after his arrest in December 2006 but refused to make further comment, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Simon Spence said Mr Wright, 49, of Ipswich, Suffolk, was questioned on more than a dozen topics, including whether he knew any of the victims.

Mr Wright, on trial at Ipswich Crown Court, denies killing the women.

The bodies of Paula Clennell, 24, Anneli Alderton, 24, Gemma Adams, 25, Annette Nicholls, 29, and Tania Nicol, 19, were all found in the Ipswich area over 10 days in December 2006.

'No fingerprints'

Jurors heard that Mr Wright was interviewed between 19 and 21 December 2006 following his arrest.

Mr Wright was asked questions by detectives on a variety of topics including his knowledge of the women, whether he used prostitutes, whether he knew the areas where the women's bodies were found and why his DNA was found on some of the women's bodies.

"He answered no comment to questions about these matters," Mr Spence said.

In admissions, Mr Spence told the court two hairs which matched in colour and microscopic appearance to a hair from Annette Nicholls were found in Mr Wright's car.

No fingerprint matches were found in Steve Wright's car, jurors heard

"It was the opinion of the forensic scientist that the findings provided strong support for the proposition that the hairs originated from Annette Nicholls," he said.

No hairs from the other women were found in the car, the court heard.

The court heard no fingerprints matching the five women had been found by forensic scientists on examination of Mr Wright's car and 47 fingerprints found in Mr Wright's home matched only the accused, his partner Pamela Wright and her son.

The trial adjourned with the defence due to begin its case on Thursday.