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December 18, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 10:00pm

Ipswich murder suspect gave Sunday Mirror interview

By Press Gazette

The man arrested over the Ipswich murders gave an extensive media interview on Sunday, in which he claimed to have been a "friend" of all the women but denied any involvement in their deaths.

Supermarket worker Tom Stephens, who was held by Suffolk police officers this morning on suspicion of murdering all five victims, predicted in the Sunday Mirror that he "could get arrested" over the killings.

However, he insisted: "I know that I'm innocent" and claimed the women "trusted me so much".

The 37-year-old apparently turned to prostitutes 18 months ago after his eight-year marriage collapsed. He claimed to have been involved with "about 50" in the past year alone.

He described two of the victims, Gemma Adama and Tania Nicol – the two he was allegedly "closest to" – as the "best-looking girls who do this in Ipswich".

Stephens apparently sobbed uncontrollably during the interview, according to Sunday Mirror journalist Michael Duffy.

The newspaper claimed he had already been questioned four times by police.

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"I could get arrested," Stephens told the newspaper. "That is quite likely, let's not say likely, let's say possible."

Asked why he thought he could be arrested, Stephens replied: "I would have complete opportunity, the girls would have trusted me so much.

"If I had blindfolded them and taken them to the edge of a cliff and said take two steps but take three and you'll go over – they would have taken the two steps.

"From the police profiling it does look like me – white male between 25 and 40, knows the area, works strange hours. The bodies have got close to my house. I know that I'm innocent. But I don't have alibis for some of the times – actually I'm not entirely sure I have tight alibis for any of the times."

Warning for crime reporters on taking too much influence from "Cracker".

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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