A THIEF WHO killed a father-of-three after poisoning him with the date rape drug GHB has been found guilty of his murder in London. 

Gerald Matovu (25) drugged and stole from men after meeting them for sex through dating apps such as Grindr. 

He administered a lethal dose of GHB to Eric Michels (54) after visiting his home in Chessington, Surrey on 17 August 2018. 

Matovu was yesterday convicted of murdering Michels and seriously harming six men.

Brandon Dunbar (23) who was not involved in the murder, but was involved in several other similar drugging or distraction thefts, was convicted of these offences.

In total there were seven victims of theft, five of whom were drugged in order to steal from them.

Before Michels’ death, Matovu had been convicted of supplying GHB to serial killer Stephen Port who murdered four men by administering lethal doses of the drug in order to sexually assault them.

He had provided a witness statement in the Port trial which the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was able to use to show that he was aware of the method used by Port and the danger of such high doses of GHB.

“Gerald Matovu, sometimes alone and sometimes with Brandon Dunbar, contacted men on Grindr to steal from them,” Sally-Anne Russell from the CPS said. 

A number of times they rendered their victims unconscious for hours by administering GHB and causing them serious harm.

“The CPS was able to show that Matovu knew the dangers he was putting these men under from his involvement in the trial of serial killer Stephen Port who murdered his victims with GHB,” she said. 

Russell thanked the witnesses for coming forward. 

We hope their courage gives victims of similar crimes the confidence to come forward.

“Our thoughts go out to the family of Mr Michels and to all the victims, and we hope that the convictions will bring some comfort to them.”

Matovu and Dunbar will be sentenced at a later date.

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