The man accused of allegedly murdering men he met on gay dating apps is now being charged with rape, sexual assault and poisoning.
A man who is charged with the murders of four men he met on the hookup app Grindr is being charged with a string of other grave offences against eight living complainants.
Stephen Port, 41 was first charged with four counts of murder in relation to the deaths of four men between June 2014 and September 2015.
The charges relate to the deaths of:
- – Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, from Barnet, who was pronounced dead on Cooke Street, Barking on 19 June 2014.
- – Gabriel Kovari, 22, from Lewisham, whose body was found near the churchyard of St Margaret’s Church, North Street, Barking on 28 August 2014.
- – Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend, Kent, whose body was found near the churchyard of St Margaret’s Church, North Street, Barking on 20 September 2014.
- – Jack Taylor, 25, from Dagenham, whose body was found near the Abbey Ruins close to North Street, Barking on Monday, 14 September.
Port denied the charges during a pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey.
Today prosecutors added six more charges of allegedly administering a poison, seven counts of rape and four charges of sexual assault bringing the total of charges to 29, they are murder, manslaughter, administering a substance with intent, rape and assault by penetration.
Police did not at first link the deaths of together Mr Walgate, Mr Whitworth and Mr Kovari until Mr Taylor’s remains were found.
A major investigation under the Homicide and Major Crime Command led to Port’s arrest in 2015.
The trial is set to begin in October.
