Wright: I'm victim of coincidences

Steve Wright, 49, of Ipswich, Suffolk, said he began picking up prostitutes on streets near his home less than two weeks before vice girls started vanishing.

Wright accepted that he could have been with all the women on the nights they disappeared.

He said he had sex with four of the women and was intending to have sex with the fifth before changing his mind. And he agreed that forensic evidence connected him to every victim's body.

But he told Ipswich Crown Court that he was not "any random psychopath" subjecting Ipswich prostitutes to "any campaign". He said he had nothing to do with the murders - and agreed that he seemed to have been "singularly unfortunate".

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

The naked bodies of the women, who all worked as prostitutes in Ipswich, were found in remote locations near the town between December 2 and December 12 2006. Detectives began an inquiry after Miss Nicol disappeared on October 30 2006.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC suggested to Wright: "It would seem that in terms of picking up prostitutes in Ipswich you have been singularly unfortunate." Wright replied: "It would seem so, yes."

Time after time Mr Wright outlined a piece of evidence and asked: "Is that a coincidence?"

More than 50 times Wright replied either "it would seem so, yes", or "it would appear so, yes" or "if you say so, yes". The trial continues.