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Stephen Port: Met to be re-investigated over serial killer Stephen Port: Met to be re-investigated over serial killer
(32 minutes later)
The young men killed by Port: Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack TaylorThe young men killed by Port: Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor
The way the Met Police initially handled the deaths of four men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port is to be re-investigated by the police watchdog.The way the Met Police initially handled the deaths of four men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port is to be re-investigated by the police watchdog.
Port is serving a whole-life sentence for the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor in Barking, East London. Port, 47, is serving a whole-life term for the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor in Barking, East London.
The deaths were not seen as suspicious by police until after the fourth death.The deaths were not seen as suspicious by police until after the fourth death.
The families' solicitor said police had "blood on their hands", adding: "It is time for them to be held accountable."The families' solicitor said police had "blood on their hands", adding: "It is time for them to be held accountable."
"Basic failings" in the way the police handled the four men's deaths were identified at a jury inquest last year. "Basic failings" in the way the Metropolitan Police handled the four men's deaths were identified at a jury inquest that concluded in December.
In 2019, the police watchdog, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), decided no officers had a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct as a result of the failures to catch the serial killer until after the fourth killing. The force failed to carry out basic checks, send evidence to be forensically examined, and exercise professional curiosity while Port was embarking on his killing spree, the inquest heard.
Now the IOPC has said there were "material flaws" in its own investigation which, along with new information, much of which was heard at the inquest, the watchdog has decided to re-open its investigation. At the time, the solicitor representing the victims' families said it was their "firmly held belief" that "the Metropolitan Police's actions were, in part, driven by homophobia".
In 2019 the police watchdog, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), decided no officers had a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct as a result of the failures to catch the serial killer until after the fourth killing.
Stephen Port is serving a whole-life prison term for the four murdersStephen Port is serving a whole-life prison term for the four murders
Regional Director Graham Beesley said: "Due to the size of the original investigation and the amount of information it obtained, this has been a complex task." Now the IOPC has said that since new information heard at the inquest found there were "material flaws" in its own inquiry, it had decided to re-open its investigation with a new team in place.
Between June 2014 and September 2015, Port murdered Anthony Walgate, 23, originally from Hull, Gabriel Kovari, 22, from Lewisham, Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend, Kent, and Jack Taylor, 25, from Dagenham, east London. Regional Director Graham Beesley said: "Following analysis of the new information provided at the inquest, we have concluded that the original investigation needed to be wider in scope and, therefore, certain lines of inquiries were not followed," he added.
He met his victims online, including through the dating app Grindr, before luring them to his flat where they were drugged and raped. The men had all been given fatal overdoses of date-rape drug GHB. "Had this information been known at the time it may have led to different decisions on outcomes."
'Blood on hands' How Met failings contributed to the deaths of three men
In 2016, Port was found guilty of the four murders and attacking several other men. Port case made assumptions about gay community
The families' solicitor Neil Hudgell said relatives had been "left traumatised by their treatment at the hands of the police". The killer the police missed
Between June 2014 and September 2015, Port killed Anthony Walgate, 23, originally from Hull, Gabriel Kovari, 22, from Lewisham, Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend, Kent, and Jack Taylor, 25, from Dagenham, east London, by giving them overdoses of the "date rape" drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) at his east London home.
He met the victims online, including through the dating app Grindr, before luring them to his flat where they were drugged and raped.
'Woeful lack of remorse'
Port was found guilty of the murders and a string of sex assaults against other men in 2016 and was given a whole-life jail term.
Following the announcement of the new IOPC inquiry, the families' solicitor Neil Hudgell said relatives had been "left traumatised by their treatment at the hands of the police".
"The inadequate investigations by the Metropolitan Police into the four deaths is one of the most widespread institutional failures in modern history, exacerbated by a woeful lack of remorse, regret or sympathy displayed at the inquests by some of the officers involved," Mr Hudgell added."The inadequate investigations by the Metropolitan Police into the four deaths is one of the most widespread institutional failures in modern history, exacerbated by a woeful lack of remorse, regret or sympathy displayed at the inquests by some of the officers involved," Mr Hudgell added.
"Port was jailed for life, but the police have blood on their hands too. It is time for them to be held accountable.""Port was jailed for life, but the police have blood on their hands too. It is time for them to be held accountable."
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