A Romanian couple has been convicted of killing two men in a honeytrap scam, drugging their victims with the sedative gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) to steal from them. The nine-year-old son of one victim, Gary Mouat, said in a victim impact statement that 'my family is destroyed now.'
Honeytrap scheme led to two deaths
Adina Mihai, 31, and her partner Madalin Dumitru, 30, posed as a sex worker and driver to target men who paid for sex, Oxford Crown Court heard. They arranged to meet victims at their homes, where Mihai would drug them unconscious with GBL concealed in alcohol, allowing the pair to steal property. The scheme resulted in the deaths of Gary Mouat, 37, and Malcolm King, 80, while two other victims survived similar attacks.
Mihai advertised her services on the website VivaStreet, and the couple would take cash deposits before meetings. Dumitru drove her to addresses and waited outside while she carried out the drugging and theft. They targeted wealthy victims, stealing watches, jewellery, aftershave, and cash, though the total value of stolen goods remains unknown.
Victim's son and wife describe devastation
In a recorded statement played to the court, Alfie Mouat, the son of Gary Mouat, expressed his grief and anger. '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 added, 'You have ruined my life and all the plans we had to do things together. My family is destroyed now.'
His mother, Louise, 35, described the moment she told her son about his father's death. 'I had to tell my eight-year-old son (now nine) that his daddy had died,' she said. 'I will never forget the scream that came from him when he realised his daddy was gone forever.' She noted that her son still wakes with nightmares and blames himself, saying, 'An eight-year-old blames himself for his daddy being killed.'
Prosecution details the scheme
Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, told the court the defendants did not intend to kill but intended to cause harm by rendering victims 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.'
Evans explained that Mihai would persuade victims to drink the laced alcohol, then search for valuables while they were unconscious. No sexual services were ever provided. He said the couple acted 'out of greed' and relied on the victims' reluctance to report the crimes due to the embarrassing nature of the encounters.
Deaths and ongoing sentencing
Mr King, a retired wealthy married man, contacted Mihai on August 20, 2024, and was found dead the next morning by his housekeeper. He had long-term heart conditions and a pacemaker, which allowed cardiologists to determine the cause of death. Mr Mouat's wife and son were away on July 12 last year when he contacted Mihai; he was found dead in his lounge the following morning.
The defendants, both unemployed and in a relationship, previously lived in Birmingham before moving to Ilford. The sentencing hearing continues, and the court has yet to pass sentence.
