An alleged serial killer has appeared in court for the first time charged with murdering four young gay men he met online and dumping their bodies near churchyards.
Stephen John Port, 40, poisoned his victims, aged between 21 and 25, with a date rape drug after making contact with them on gay websites, it is claimed.
Three of the bodies were discovered near graveyards close to his home in Barking, east London.
Mr Port is said to have struck first in June last year, when a 23-year-old Middlesex University fashion student was found dead close to Mr Port’s home in Barking. Anthony Patrick Walgate, who came from Hull but lived in Barking, was found unresponsive in the road in the early hours of June 19 and was pronounced dead at the scene at 4am.
Two months later, on August 28 last year, a dog walker discovered a man’s corpse in the grounds of St Margaret’s Church, Barking. Police identified the body as that of Gabriel Kovari, a 22-year-old Slovakian living in Deptford, south east London.
Advertisement
Less than a month later the same dog walker, who has not been named, found a second corpse near the churchyard. The body was identified as Daniel Whitworth, 21, a chef from Gravesend, Kent.
Mr Port was arrested after the discovery of a man’s remains near the Abbey Ruins, Barking, on September 14 this year. The body was identified as that of Jack Taylor, a 25-year-old forklift truck driver from Dagenham, east London.
Officers from the Metropolitan police homicide and major crime command linked the four deaths on October 14, the court heard.
It is alleged that Mr Port drugged the victims with GHB, gammahydroxybutrate, also known as liquid Ecstasy, often referred to as a date rape drug because it causes euphoria followed by drowsiness.
Mr Port appeared in custody at Barkingside magistrates’ court today charged with four counts of murder, and four counts of administering a poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm, under laws dating back to 1861.
Advertisement
Wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, he shuffled into the small glass dock flanked by three uniformed dock officers.
Smiling nervously, he spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
Paul Nagle, prosecuting, said: “The four deceased were contacted by Mr Port over the internet through gay websites.
“They were invited back to his home in Cooke Street, Barking, they were then given large amounts of a drug by the name of GHB and that caused them to die... and dumped their bodies in Barking cemeteries.
“The bodies were found between August 2014 and September 2015.”
Advertisement
Mr Nagle requested that his case was sent to the Old Bailey.
Mr Port was remanded in custody by Deputy District Judge Shlomo Kreiman until a hearing at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
He said: “Because of the nature of the matters against you this court must send all of the cases to the crown court.
“I now send all of your matters to the Central Criminal Court. Your first appearance there will be on Wednesday.”