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| Eric Michels murder: 'Grindr thief' guilty of businessman murder | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A serial thief who targeted victims through gay dating apps has been found guilty of murdering a businessman with a GHB drug overdose. | A serial thief who targeted victims through gay dating apps has been found guilty of murdering a businessman with a GHB drug overdose. |
| An Old Bailey jury convicted Gerald Matovu, 26, of killing Eric Michels, 54, who was found dead at his south-west London home on 18 August. | An Old Bailey jury convicted Gerald Matovu, 26, of killing Eric Michels, 54, who was found dead at his south-west London home on 18 August. |
| The court heard the pair met in central London through the Grindr app before taking a cab back to Mr Michel's house. | The court heard the pair met in central London through the Grindr app before taking a cab back to Mr Michel's house. |
| Matovu had previously admitted selling GHB to serial killer Stephen Port. | Matovu had previously admitted selling GHB to serial killer Stephen Port. |
| The link between a Grindr murderer and a serial killer | The link between a Grindr murderer and a serial killer |
| Port was given a whole-life term for the murders of four young men he poisoned with lethal doses of the substance and raped after meeting them on Grindr. | Port was given a whole-life term for the murders of four young men he poisoned with lethal doses of the substance and raped after meeting them on Grindr. |
| Matovu was also found guilty of six counts of administering a noxious substance so as to endanger life and one of possession of GBL with intent to supply. | |
| His co-defendant Brandon Dunbar, from Forest Gate, east London, was convicted of two counts of administering a noxious substance so as to endanger life, six counts of possessing articles for use in fraud, four of theft, and one of fraud. | |
| The men were also both found guilty of assault by penetration, assault and theft in relation to one victim. | |
| During the trial, prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said the charges related to 12 gay men who met one or both of the defendants for the purposes of sex, but ended up as victims. | |
| The court heard Mr Michels, an executive at energy company SSE, met Matovu in the early hours of 17 August. | |
| The pair went to back to the businessman's home in Chessington, where he was given a fatal dose of GHB, a drug used in so-called chemsex but also linked to instances of date-rape. | |
| While his victim was incapacitated, Matovu took the opportunity to take photos of Mr Michels' bank cards, driving licence and various passwords. |