22/01/2008

Murdered Girl's Mum Didn't Know She Was A Prostitute

The mother of a Tania Nichol, the youngest of five women murdered around Ipswich, told a court she did not know her daughter was working as a prostitute.

Kerry Nicol was giving evidence at the trial of forklift driver Steve Wright, 49, who is accused of killing Miss Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli, Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

Ms Nicol said she had last seen her daughter at approximately 10.45pm on the day she disappeared when she went to catch a bus.

She told the jury she spoke to her at 10.57pm to check she had got the bus and never heard from her again.

Her mother also told the court her daughter moved out of the family home and into a hostel when she was 16, when she began using heroin.

Ms Nicol noticed her daughter had been losing weight and found syringes on her bedroom floor, but she denied using drugs and claimed they belonged to a friend.

The court has already heard that Wright had admitted having sex with four of the five women, however he denies having anything to do with their deaths.

The trial continues.

(CD)

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