A Romanian couple drugged and killed two men in a honeytrap scam, a court has heard. Gary Mouat, 37, was found dead at his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in July last year after his wine was spiked with the sedative gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).
Honeytrap scam targeting men
Adina Mihai, 31, and her partner Madalin Dumitru, 30, arranged to meet men paying for sex at their homes and drugged them unconscious to steal from them, Oxford Crown Court heard. Mr Mouat and another man, Malcolm King, 80, died, while two others survived similar plots.
Mihai advertised her sexual services on the online site VivaStreet and the pair would take cash deposits ahead of meeting up. Dumitru would drive her to an address and wait outside as she went about the drugging and theft. She would find out whether their victims were wealthy and would steal watches, jewellery, aftershave and cash.
Victim impact statements
In a victim impact statement recorded and played to the court, Alfie Mouat said the killers had ruined his life. 'My dad was funny, silly, loving and a trickster, we always used to prank each other,' he said. 'Why did you have to kill my dad, you could have just taken the money, he was really kind, he would have given it to you. He was my dad and now he's gone. Ever since my dad died my life has been really tough. I miss him every day and will never get to see him again. I will never be able to get another dad and that makes me feel so sad. You have ruined my life and all the plans we had to do things together. My family is destroyed now.'
His mother Louise, 35, told the pair 'our lives changed forever because of what you did'. She said: 'I had to tell my eight-year-old son (now nine) that his daddy had died. Someone who should have been around to watch him grow up was gone. I will never forget the scream that came from him when he realised his daddy was gone forever. He dropped to the floor and begged me to say it wasn't true.'
Court details
Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, told the court the defendants did not intend to kill their victims but instead intended to cause harm by rendering them unconscious. 'In summary, Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru drugged their victims via the administration of GBL, a potent drug, concealed in alcohol,' he said. 'They did so with a specific purpose in mind: to render their victims unconscious inside their homes in order to steal property from them.'
The court heard Mr King, who was retired, wealthy and married, had made contact with Mihai on August 20, 2024, and arranged to meet her at his home that evening while his wife was away. His body was discovered the following morning by his housekeeper, who also found an empty bottle of wine and two wine glasses. Mr King had long-term heart conditions and was fitted with a pacemaker, and cardiologists were able to determine the circumstances of his death after analysing the device.
The defendants, who are both unemployed and in a relationship, previously lived in Birmingham, before moving to Ilford. The sentencing hearing continues.
