Vikas Nath, 63, was caught in the act when he spiked a woman’s drink in London. The Indian-born owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant has admitted in court that he spiked the woman’s drink, according to the BBC.
The alleged incident occurred at a Mayfair private club on 15 January 2024. Nath is accused of adding gamma-butyrolactone, known as GBL, to a woman’s margarita at Annabel’s.
Club staff saw Nath use a straw to pour liquid from a bottle of vanilla extract into a drink, Southwark Crown Court heard. The staff replaced the drink before it was consumed and alerted the police.
Nath faces a charge of attempted delivery of a substance with intent. He also faces a charge of possession of a Class B drug. While he admits to drinking, Nath denies any sexual motive. He claims he wanted to help the woman relax.
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The jury was also told that Nath had a motion-activated camera in the bedroom of his Knightsbridge home. He admitted to using the device to secretly record sexual encounters.
The court was told the woman invited Vikas Nath to Annabel’s, where she was a member. They went to the rooftop bar. She ordered a cocktail and later left the table to show two friends around the club.
According to prosecutors, two employees then noticed unusual behavior while Nath was alone with drinks. They saw him scoop up liquid from a small bottle with a straw and stealthily pour it into the woman’s drink.
By the time the police arrived, Nath realized he had been discovered. He went to the bathroom and hid the bottle in the cistern.
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“By the time the police arrived, Mr Nath clearly found himself shaken,” the BBC quoted prosecutor Tim Clarke KC as saying.
The millionaire businessman owns restaurants in the UK and Spain, including two Michelin-starred establishments. While police were en route, he hid a bottle of vanilla extract in the toilet bowl, the court heard.
When officers arrived at the Mayfair club, they found the bottle. It contained traces of rape. Police found two more bottles of GBL under his kitchen sink at home.
During police interrogation, Nath said he bought GBL as a cleaning fluid for a high-performance car. He claimed a friend told him it could also be mixed with alcohol to get someone relaxed. Nath said he did not know that possession of GBL was illegal, the BBC reported.
Prosecutors said Nath had exchanged messages with a friend before the incident. The chat showed that he wanted to have sex with the woman.
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The 63-year-old felt frustrated that it hadn’t happened yet. The prosecution said his confession was inevitable because the surge was caught on CCTV.
“His admission is not surprising; he had no choice as the scoring was caught on CCTV at Annabel’s,” Clark said.
“He tried to hide the evidence of what he had done, he went to the toilet and threw the little bottle into the cistern and when the police found it, it was floating,” the prosecutor added.
United Kingdom law on raising
The UK has strict laws against drink-spiking under the Offenses Against the Person Act 1861. A case like Nath’s falls under the Sexual Offenses Act 2003, which covers cases where someone impales a victim to sexually assault them.
If convicted, Vikas Nath faces up to 10 years in prison. The trial continues.
