A former publican accused of murdering five women tailored a story to explain away connections between him and the victims in “an act of desperation”, a court was told today.

As he finished giving evidence after three days in the witness box, Steve Wright, 49, was told that he had been so successful at killing women that he had “got sloppy” and did not clean his car well enough, leaving forensic evidence.

Peter Wright, QC, for the prosecution, said: “Is it simply you have sought to try to tailor your case to fit with the forensic evidence in this case?”

Raising his voice and staring straight at the prosecutor, the defendant said: “No, I have not”.

Ipswich Crown Court has been told that Mr Wright cleaned his car regularly, but pictures shown to the jury of the Ford Mondeo when Mr Wright was arrested in December 2006 show it to be slightly dirty, with a chocolate wrapper in the front.

The prosecution asked: “You say it was cleaned regularly, or is it it was only cleaned when you had a particular reason to do that?” Mr Wright said that it was cleaned regularly.

The prosecution said: “Is it the position you had reached, Mr Wright, so successful had you been in picking up those women and killing them, that you were getting sloppy?”

“No way,” Mr Wright said. “I have nothing to do with their deaths.”

Mr Wright denies murdering Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, between October 29 and December 13 2006. Their naked bodies were found at remote locations near the town during a ten-day period in December 2006.

Referring to when Mr Wright was arrested and chose, on legal advice, not to say anything, the prosecution asked: “Or is it you were quite simply happy to sit behind the advice you were then being given because the truth was you had absolutely no explanation to give.” “Not true,” the defendant said.

Mr Wright continued: “Because you had then not come up with your account seeking to tailor it to fit the forensic evidence.”

“No” said Mr Wright.

The QC added: “And it's an act of desperation on your part, Mr Wright, to try and explain away these connections between you and the murders of each of these women.”

“No it is not,” said Mr Wright.

Finishing his cross examination, Mr Wright said: “The sad truth is, Mr Wright, you engaged on a campaign of murder for little over six weeks, that's the truth isn't it?”

Mr Wright said: “No, it is not.”

“Selecting women with which to have sex with and then to kill.”

“No I did not,” the defendant said.

Mr Wright was unable to offer any explanation as to how or why blood from two of the dead women was found on one of his coats.

The prosecutor asked: "How did [Miss Nicholls's] blood get on the outside of the back of the right sleeve of your jacket?”

The defendant replied: “I couldn't say.”

Mr Wright asked: “How did [Miss Clennell's] blood get on the back of your left shoulder?”

“I have no idea,” said the accused.

The trial continues.

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