Wright guilty of murdering five prostitutes

By Andrew Hough

LONDON (Reuters) - Forklift truck driver Steve Wright was found guilty on Thursday of murdering five prostitutes during one of the most intensive killing sprees in British criminal history.

Wright, 49, had asphyxiated the five drug-addicted women, leaving two of their bodies in a cruciform position with arms outstretched.

The corpses were found dumped at rural locations around the town of Ipswich within the space of just 10 days.

He will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

The families of two of the women called for the return of the death penalty. Speaking through a police liaison officer, one of them said: "these crimes deserve the ultimate punishment, and that can only mean one thing.

"The public must insist this government looks at returning the death penalty in cases such as this otherwise many more families will go through the same suffering that we have had to endure."

The 2006 killings led to one of the country's biggest ever manhunts and drew comparisons with infamous 19th century serial killer Jack the Ripper.

Wright, labelled the "Suffolk Strangler" by the media, had murdered the women while his 63 year-old partner Pamela was working night shifts.