The man accused of murdering five women wants his trial held outside Ipswich because he fears that the strength of local feeling would not permit a fair hearing. Steve Wright’s lawyers are likely to make an application for the trial to be transferred.

During a preliminary hearing yesterday at Ipswich Crown Court, Mr Wright, a 48-year-old forklift truck driver, spoke only to confirm his name. He has been charged with murdering Tania Nicol, 19, Paula Clennell, 24, Anneli Alderton, 24, Gemma Adams, 25, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

The bodies of all five prostitutes were found over ten days last month in isolated locations south of Ipswich.

Paul Osler, Mr Wright’s solicitor, said after the hearing: “The defence have some concerns about the strength of local feeling and whether, in Ipswich, there could be a fair trial. We have had some information which suggests it might not be so easy to move the case to the London courts because they are bogged down with their own work.”

Karim Khalil, QC, who prosecuted the Soham killer, Ian Huntley, in 2003, will lead Mr Wright’s legal team.

Mr Wright, who was dressed in a black suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, appeared behind a glass screen in the courtroom, flanked by four security guards. He was arrested on December 19 at his rented flat in London Road, close to the Ipswich red-light district.

Mr Wright did not enter a plea during the seven-minute hearing.

The court heard that the investigation had not yet finished and that police were still reviewing “a significant amount” of CCTV footage.

Mr Wright did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody until May 1. He is being kept in isolation at Belmarsh prison, in southeast London. His next appearance will be before the High Court judge Mr Justice Calvert-Smith for a case management hearing at Ipswich Crown Court.

Mr Osler said: “He is not part of the general prison population and is being kept in isolation. I suspect it is for his own safety because we all know how people jump to conclusions. Anyone facing charges like this is going to feel a sense of isolation. But having regard to the circumstances he can’t avoid at present, he is bearing up well.

“I don’t know if he is on suicide watch. There is nothing about him which suggests he ought to be — but in a case like this the prison authorities adopt a cautious approach.

“People facing the enormity of a case such as this, who are at the same time isolated from their families, can suffer psychological fallout and I am sure the prison authorities are cautious in observing what is happening to somebody.”

Mr Osler said that the defence team was waiting to examine the evidence against him. “We will consider the evidence prior to May 1 in the hope that we will make progress and he will be able to enter a plea. It will depend on whether the prosecution have met their obligations and the defence have had an opportunity to assess the case.”

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