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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Judge's plea to Suffolk case jury | Judge's plea to Suffolk case jury |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A judge has told jurors hearing the murder trial of Steve Wright to put aside any sympathy they have for the five dead women in the case. | |
| Mr Justice Gross, who is summing up at Ipswich Crown Court, addressed the jury of nine men and three women before they consider their verdicts. | |
| He told them: "Such sympathies cannot assist you in deciding your task." | He told them: "Such sympathies cannot assist you in deciding your task." |
| Mr Wright, 49, of Ipswich, denies killing the women, who all worked as prostitutes in the town. | Mr Wright, 49, of Ipswich, denies killing the women, who all worked as prostitutes in the town. |
| 'Ignore emotions' | 'Ignore emotions' |
| The bodies of Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were found over a 10-day period in December 2006. | The bodies of Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were found over a 10-day period in December 2006. |
| Mr Justice Gross told the jury: "The loss of these five young lives is clearly a tragedy. You are likely to have sympathy for the deceased and their families. | Mr Justice Gross told the jury: "The loss of these five young lives is clearly a tragedy. You are likely to have sympathy for the deceased and their families. |
| Steve Wright, 49, denies killing the five women | Steve Wright, 49, denies killing the five women |
| "Your sympathy... must not sway you." | "Your sympathy... must not sway you." |
| The judge added: "You may view with some distaste the lifestyles of those involved... whatever the drugs they took, whatever the work they did, no-one is entitled to do these women any harm, let alone kill them." | The judge added: "You may view with some distaste the lifestyles of those involved... whatever the drugs they took, whatever the work they did, no-one is entitled to do these women any harm, let alone kill them." |
| Mr Justice Gross reminded jurors that Tom Stephens, the first man arrested in connection with the five murders, was not "on trial". | Mr Justice Gross reminded jurors that Tom Stephens, the first man arrested in connection with the five murders, was not "on trial". |
| But he said neither the defence nor prosecution could rule him out of the inquiry. | But he said neither the defence nor prosecution could rule him out of the inquiry. |
| The judge read through a summary of the evidence heard during the trial, which has now entered its sixth week. | The judge read through a summary of the evidence heard during the trial, which has now entered its sixth week. |
| He told them to avoid any media coverage of the case and any reference to it on the internet. | He told them to avoid any media coverage of the case and any reference to it on the internet. |
| The trial was adjourned until Tuesday. |