A prominent restaurateur accused of spiking a woman's drink with a date-rape drug at an exclusive London members' club has emotionally told a court that his actions were "wrong," while denying any sexual intent behind the incident.
Incident at Exclusive Mayfair Venue
Vikas Nath, 63, of Knightsbridge, west London, used a straw to administer gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) into the woman's spicy margarita while they were seated in the rooftop garden bar at Annabel's private members' club in Mayfair on January 15, 2024, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The court was told that staff at the prestigious venue observed Nath dipping a straw into a small Madagascan vanilla extract bottle he had retrieved from his pocket, using it to transfer liquid into the woman's drink. Alert employees managed to switch the contaminated beverage for a fresh one before the woman consumed it.
Emotional Courtroom Admission
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Nath, who operates a portfolio of high-end restaurants in the UK and Spain including two Michelin-starred establishments, became tearful as he addressed the jury.
"What I did was wrong and I regret it very deeply," Nath told jurors, while maintaining that his intention was to "relax" the woman rather than facilitate sexual activity.
He explicitly denied prosecutors' claims that he intended to "stupefy and overpower" the woman, stating: "I wasn't thinking about that" when questioned about sexual motivations by his barrister, Eleanor Laws KC.
Defendant's Explanation and Background
The court heard Nath's explanation that he believed the substance was cleaning fluid that could be consumed as a "relaxant" when mixed with alcohol. He told jurors he had purchased the chemical around 2016 for cleaning his BMW i8 car, and a friend had informed him it could be drunk with alcohol.
Nath testified that he had consumed the substance himself on several occasions prior to the January incident, as it heightened alcohol's effects. He admitted taking a "swig" of it before entering Annabel's on the night in question.
Regarding his actions toward the woman, Nath stated she had been "erratic" and he intended for her to be "less anxious and for her to calm down a little bit."
Previous Encounters and Police Response
Jurors heard that Nath and the woman had met several times before January 15, 2024, often for lunch at upscale locations including the five-star Beaverbrook Town House hotel and Nath's Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant, Benares.
The court was informed that when police were called to Annabel's, Nath disposed of the GBL bottle by throwing it into a toilet cistern. In police interviews, he claimed unawareness of the drug's true nature.
Legal Proceedings Continue
Vikas Nath denies two charges: attempting to administer a substance with intent and possession of a Class B drug. The trial at Southwark Crown Court continues as the jury considers the evidence presented.
