Serial killer Steve Wright facing trial for murdering teenage girl before spree

Serial killer Steve Wright will go on trial next month accused of murdering a teenage girl seven years before he murdered five women in Ipswich.

Victoria Hall, 17, was last seen after an evening out with friends at a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on September 19, 1999.

She never returned home, and her body was discovered by a dog walker in a water-filled ditch 25 miles away in Creeting St Peter near Stowmarket five days later.

Wright, 66, formerly of London Road, Ipswich, denies the murder and kidnap of Victoria.

He has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted kidnap of a second female in Felixstowe.

Ahead of Wright’s Old Bailey trial next month, judge Mr Justice Bennathan ruled that the jury could be told about his previous convictions for five other murders.

Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol and Annette Nicholls were killed over a ten day period in December 2006.

Wright appeared in court today via videolink from HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire wearing a white t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms.

He was remanded into custody to await his Old Bailey trial which is due to start on February 2.

Victoria was walking home from the Bandbox nightclub with a friend in the early hours of the morning when she vanished.

They stopped at a takeaway before saying goodbye at 2.30am 300 yards from Victoria’s home.

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