02/04/2007

Man jailed over Ipswich prostitute claims

A man who claimed to know the prostitutes murdered in Ipswich last year has been jailed for three months for wasting police time.

Andrew Purdy, 44, from Baylham, Suffolk, had earlier pleading guilty to wasting police time at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

The court heard how Purdy, who described himself as a property developer, had attended a memorial service for the five murdered woman and told a reporter that he had befriended the local prostitutes and tried to help them.

Prosecutors then said that Purdy went on to contact police 27 times with false claims that he was being threatened.

District Judge David Cooper described Purdy as a "sad and stupid man" and a "fantasist".

He also said that his behaviour was "morally wrong" and had resulted in the waste of thousands of pounds in the police investigation,

Judge Cooper said that a prison sentence was "unavoidable" in order to deter others from wasting police time.

Steve Wright, 48, from Ipswich is due to appear in court in Ipswich in May, charged with the murders of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

(KMcA)

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