[Niamh.]

I never even heard about that case I don't think, was it in England?

[Cherie]

I'm trying to paste a link it's a horrific case

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Stephen Port, a chef from London, has been convicted of the murders of four young gay men he met through dating websites.

The 41-year-old, who used dating apps such as Grindr to meet his victims, drugged them with fatal amounts of GHB to rape them before dumping some of their bodies in or near a graveyard close to his flat in Barking, east London, the Old Bailey had heard.

Port was convicted unanimously of the murders of Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor, and by a majority verdict of 11-1 of the murder of Anthony Walgate. The jury of 10 women and two men convicted him of 17 offences against a number of victims, including the four murders. These charges included seven counts of administering a substance, three rapes and three sexual assaults.

Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor and Gabriel Kovari
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Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor and Gabriel Kovari. Photograph: PA
Jurors have yet to reach verdicts relating to other charges. Mr Justice Openshaw has told jurors he will accept a majority of at least 10 to two on the remaining counts.

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Port, who is due to be sentenced on Friday, gave no reaction from the dock when the guilty verdicts were read out. He had denied all charges.

The court was told that police had failed to make a link until after the death of Taylor, the last person to die at Port’s hand.

Jurors were told Port had embarked on cover-ups after the deaths, including trying to implicate Whitworth, 21, in the death of Kovari, 22, by faking a suicide note supposedly written by Whitworth saying he had taken his own life in guilt after accidentally giving Kovari too much GHB during sex.

The jury has been told that Walgate, 23, a fashion student whose body was found in June 2014 propped up outside the communal entrance to the building where Port lived in a one-bedroom flat, was his first murder victim.

Port was convicted of the murder of Kovari, originally from Slovakia and temporarily living in Port’s flat, whose body was found in the grounds of St Margaret’s church, around 500 metres from Port’s flat.

Whitworth’s body was found in the same graveyard in September 2014, three weeks after Kovari’s.

The court heard that Taylor, 25, died within hours of hooking up with Port on Grindr in the early hours in September 2015, and was found in the same church grounds.

[Cherie]

The police are under investigation as they originally said the deaths were not suspicious even though the 4 bodies were dumped either outside his flat or near it, the family of the last victim Jack Taylor had to harass them to investigate

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The police are under investigation as they originally said the deaths were not suspicious even though the 4 bodies were dumped either outside his flat or near it, the family of the last victim Jack Taylor had to harass them to investigate

wtf?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

wtf?

Jacks body had to be exhumed

[Amy Jade]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The police are under investigation as they originally said the deaths were not suspicious even though the 4 bodies were dumped either outside his flat or near it, the family of the last victim Jack Taylor had to harass them to investigate

Awful. The whole thing is disturbing but the fact the police didn't want to investigate is terrible.

[Cherie]

This just gets worse journalists from the local paper and the Pink news were told they were scaremongering when they suggested there was a link and posted articles

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Amy Jade

Awful. The whole thing is disturbing but the fact the police didn't want to investigate is terrible.

It is terrible. I read that after the first death, and he was initially arrested on suspicion, they took his computer but never checked what was on it. Apparently the reason they didn't was because of the cost of doing it. But if they had they would have found clear evidence that he was responsible for that death. Instead he ended up being bailed and went on to kill the others

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

It is terrible. I read that after the first death, and he was initially arrested on suspicion, they took his computer but never checked what was on it. Apparently the reason they didn't was because of the cost of doing it. But if they had they would have found clear evidence that he was responsible for that death. Instead he ended up being bailed and went on to kill the others

wow, sounds like there was a whole lot of blunders made on this one. Imagine if you were a family member of one of the men killed after that, knowing they had him but let him go

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

wow, sounds like there was a whole lot of blunders made on this one. Imagine if you were a family member of one of the men killed after that, knowing they had him but let him go

I know. It was actually friends of the first victim too that were pestering the police to check his computer (only to be told cost, etc)... so yeah, awful for them eventually finding out what was on it, awful for the family of his next victims... I suppose we have hindsight and everything, maybe there were other reasons too and of course they couldn't have known he would go on to kill again, but just looking on how it's been reported it seems really odd. Even at the time of the first killing they knew at the very least he'd moved the guys dead body out of his flat onto the street even though at first he denied knowing him, and why take his computer if you're not going to check what's on it? - I don't get it at all.

I actually wonder if the fact of who the first victim was might have had anything to do with it, with him being gay and an escort. I'm probably reaching lol but if they didn't investigate as thoroughly as they should have, there must be a reason. And it's not totally unrealistic to think there could have been homophobia/general apathy with him being a prostitute playing a part. If it was a different 'type' of victim maybe it would have been a different story.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The police are under investigation as they originally said the deaths were not suspicious even though the 4 bodies were dumped either outside his flat or near it, the family of the last victim Jack Taylor had to harass them to investigate

Christ.How much evidence do they need?They were found drugged,raped and killed and the police didn't see anything fishy going on?I mean it doesn't exactly take Hercule Poirot.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Christ.How much evidence do they need?They were found drugged,raped and killed and the police didn't see anything fishy going on?I mean it doesn't exactly take Hercule Poirot.

All found in the same location as well, there is a suggestion of institutionalised homophobia in the met, either that or they are all dense