A 40-year-old man was due in court today charged with the murders of four young men who were each found poisoned in or close to the ruins of an abbey and a graveyard in east London.
Stephen John Port was expected to appear at Barkingside magistrates’ court on suspicion of killing three men, aged between 21 and 23, over four months in 2014 and a fourth man, 25, last month.
He also stands accused of four counts of administering poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm.
The charges relate to the deaths of Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21, and Jack Taylor, 25.
Mr Walgate, a university student from Barnet in north London who wanted to become a fashion designer, was found lying dead in Cooke Street in Barking on June 19 last year.
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The body of Mr Kovari, from Lewisham, southeast London, was found near the churchyard of St Margaret’s church in Barking on August 28.
Mr Whitworth, from Gravesend, Kent, was found dead in the same churchyard four weeks later, on September 20 last year.
Almost exactly a year later, on September 14, the body of Mr Taylor, a night duty forklift operator at a warehouse, who lived in Dagenham, was found near the ruins of Barking Abbey, next to the church grounds.
Police said at the time that Mr Taylor had been out with friends on the evening of September 12, a Saturday.
Mr Port, from Barking, was arrested on Thursday evening. A Facebook account in his name describes him as a “speacial needs catering teacher” at Westminster Kingsway College in King’s Cross, who was formerly in the Royal Navy.
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It says he attended the University of Oxford between 2000 and 2003. Its “likes” include a number of gay websites and support groups.