Dealer to chemsex killer robbed and murdered Bond film extra
A DEALER who provided serial killer Stephen Port with chemsex drugs that he used on his victims has been convicted of carrying out a similar killing of his own.
Gerald Matovu, who was previously found guilty of supplying drugs to Port, killed Eric Michels with a fatal dose of the drug GHB after they met on gay dating app Grindr, a court heard.
Mr Michels, who had an uncredited role as a cocktail party guest in Skyfall, was one of 12 men targeted by Matovu and his lover Brandon Dunbar, 24, over a 19-month period.
Jurors were not told about Matovu’s past connection with Port, 44, who had also targeted victims through Grindr and killed them with GHB overdoses.
Port was handed a whole life term for raping and murdering four young men and dumping their bodies near his home in Barking, east London, between 2014 and 2015. After Port’s trial in 2016, Matovu pleaded guilty to supplying mephedrone and GHB and offering to supply GHB, but denied knowing what Port planned to do with it.
At Matovu’s murder trial yesterday, Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, told how the defendants took advantage of meeting men on Grindr to steal property and bank details.
On August 16 last year, divorced father of three Mr Michels made contact with Matovu on Grindr after a night out in Soho gay bars. Mr Michels invited him home for sex, the court heard. Back at Mr Michels’ home, the defendant drugged him and took photographs of his bank cards and driver’s licence. He also stole a Macbook, a mobile phone, an initialled black case, a US driving licence and various cards as well as bottles of alcohol.
Mr Michels’ body was discovered by his family the following day in bed under a duvet. An empty syringe without a needle attached was found on the floor beside the bed.
DNA from the victim and defendant was identified on it, as well as traces of GHB, the court heard. Matovu denied murder but accepted going home with Mr Michels to have consensual sex, saying the actor took the GHB himself.
A jury deliberated for 26 hours to reach guilty verdicts on all the charges against both defendants.
Matovu and Dunbar were convicted of a string of charges including administering a noxious substance, assault by penetration and theft.