Wright quizzed over blood on coat

LONDON (Reuters) - A man accused of murdering five prostitutes offered no explanation as to why the blood of two of the women was found on his coat.

Steve Wright, giving his last day of evidence at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday, denied the blood had got onto his reflective jacket while he was dumping the women's bodies.

Wright, of Ipswich, denies killing Annette Nicholls, 29, Paula Clennell, 24, Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, and Anneli Alderton, 24, between October and December 2006.

Prosecution lawyer Peter Wright said a scratch had been found on the cheek of Nicholls' body.

"Is the reason why her blood is on your jacket that you carried her dead to where she was deposited and in carrying her there she scratched her face on the brambles and low-lying vegetation?" the lawyer asked.

"No, I did not," Wright replied.

Wright said he had "no idea" why Clennell's blood was also on his jacket.

"The blood got there when you were dumping her body," said the lawyer.

"No, it did not," said Wright.