‘Grindr serial killer’ Stephen Port sentenced to whole life term over murders of four men
The so-called ‘Grindr serial killer’ Stephen Port who murdered four men has been sentenced to a whole life term.
A jury on Wednesday found Port guilty of murdering a fourth man after an earlier verdict found him guilty of murdering three others.
As well as being given a whole life sentenced for the murder of the four victims, Port also received another life sentence for counts of sexual assault and another ten years for drugging his victims.
41-year-old Stephen Port, of Barking, east London, was found guilty of the murder of Anthony Walgate.
Earlier in the day he was found guilty of the murders of Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor.
Handing down the sentenced today, Mr Justice Openshaw said Port had told “the most elaborate lie” in relation to the death of Kovari in the witness box.
He said Port will die in prison as the court applauded when his sentenced was handed down. Shouts of “scumbag” and “yes” were heard from the court.
The judge also said he told “wicked and monstrous lies” when he placed a fake suicide note on the body of Whitworth.
Of questions about how the police handled the case, the judge said the “competency and adequacy of the investigation will be examined by others”.
Seventeen misconduct and gross misconduct notices have been issued to officers by the IPCC which is looking into the case
The men were poisoned with lethal doses of the date-rape drug GHB.
Port was also earlier found guilty of a number of sexual offences and of administering a substance with intent.
The court had heard that he used GHB to poison the men to have sex with them while they were unconscious.
He had pleaded not guilty to 29 charges which include murder, rape, sexual assault and drugging.
The court previously saw details of his accounts on gay networking, escort, and hook-up sites.
In total, 18 different accounts across 12 separate apps and websites had been linked to Port.
The court previously heard that GHB bottles and even a suicide note were found planted on men’s bodies.
His trial began in October at the Old Bailey.
MPs local to where Port lived and committed the murders have vowed to keep the LGBT+ community safe.
