A man has admitted having sex with four of the five women he is accused of murdering, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Steve Wright, 49, of Ipswich, denies murdering the women, who were working as prostitutes to fund drug habits.
All five were found dead in December 2006.
The Suffolk murders trial under way ...
New bluetongue case confirmed ...
Atonement leads field at Globes ...
Italian judge considers charges ... court was told the chances that the DNA found on three women was not the defendant's was "one in a billion".
Timothy Langdale QC, defending Mr Wright, said he would challenge the significance of that DNA evidence.
He told the jury that Mr Wright was someone who used prostitutes in Ipswich and that was how he came into contact with the five women.
Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, Annette Nicholls, 29, Tania Nicol, 19, and 25-year-old Gemma Adams went missing during six weeks in 2006.
All five bodies were found naked and dumped in remote areas of Suffolk between 2 and 12 December.
DNA matching the defendant was found on the bodies of Miss Alderton, Miss Clennell and Miss Nicholls.
Mr Langdale told the jury they had to consider the world in which the women operated, and the people associated with them.
He said the defendant had sex with four of the five women and had picked up Miss Nicol with a view to having sex with her, but changed his mind and dropped her off.
He said this explained the DNA link between Mr Wright and some of the victims
"It's therefore not the case that the defence are suggesting some kind of freak coincidence," said Mr Langdale.
"You have to consider the evidence, for example from the scientists, as to the real possibility of someone being able to kill the victims without leaving any trace on the body of the victims."
'Compelling guilt'
Earlier, Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, outlined the case against Steve Wright.
He told jurors the forensic evidence of links between the defendant and the women's bodies painted a "compelling picture of his guilt".
The jury was told semen-stained gloves, which contained DNA samples that could have come from Miss Nicholls and Miss Alderton, were seized from the defendant's car.
There was also evidence fibres had been transferred between the bodies and the defendant's sofa, jacket, lumberjack coat and three pairs of trousers, he told the court.
Mr Wright told the jury the DNA and forensic findings did not point to an "unfortunate coincidence" but rather that the defendant was "engaged in an active campaign of murder".
The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, has been adjourned until Monday.
(BBC)
<< Back