New Delhi, February 7: Private messages in which Indian-origin restaurateur Vikas Nath wrote “I want to get laid, not hold hands” and described a woman as “eminently f***able” became crucial evidence in his conviction for spiking her drink at a luxury London club, prosecutors told a court, according to the Express.

Nath, 63, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Benares, was found guilty on Friday of attempting to administer a substance with intent and possession of a Class B drug after lacing a woman’s cocktail with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) at Annabel’s in Mayfair.

Indian-Origin Businessman Vikas Nath Accused of Spiking Woman’s Drink in the UK

A jury at Southwark Crown Court heard that the messages revealed Nath’s s*xual intentions and contradicted his claim that he had only wanted to “relax” the woman. UK: Indian-Origin Woman Raped in Walsall's Park Hall Area, Police Call 'Racially Aggravated' Attack Horrific; 1 Arrested.

Jurors were presented with a series of texts and messages sent by Nath to friends in the weeks leading up to the incident in January 2024.

As per the Express report, in one message, he wrote, “I want to get laid, not hold hands.” In another, he described the woman as “eminently f***able” and spoke of needing to “play the long game”.

On the day of the incident, he messaged a friend, “I’m at Annabel’s. This is probably the last evening with her. She ain’t biting.” Prosecutors said the messages showed Nath had become frustrated by the woman’s reluctance to have s*x and decided to drug her when his advances failed. London Horror: Teenager Gang-Raped By Pakistani Grooming Gang, Sikh Community Rescues Her (Watch Video).

“These were not casual remarks,” the prosecution told the court. “They revealed motive, intention and planning.”

The court heard that Nath met the woman at Annabel’s rooftop garden bar and ordered her a spicy margarita. When she briefly left the table, he took out a bottle disguised as Madagascar vanilla extract and used a straw to pour liquid into her drink.

Prosecutor Tim Clark KC said staff noticed his “rather strange actions”. “They watched Nath put a straw into her drink, sticking his finger over the top,” he told jurors.

Bar staff intervened immediately, removed the drink and stopped the woman from returning to the table. The cocktail was later seized and tested by police.

The woman told the court she initially refused to believe Nath could have spiked her drink. “I remember vividly defending Nath, saying ‘There is no way he could do that’,” she said. “I even sent him a message saying, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening’.”

She said she later felt “betrayed” when she learnt the truth. The court heard the pair had previously met for lunches at Benares and the Beaverbrook Town House hotel and had attended social events together. She said their relationship had never been s*xual.

After Nath’s arrest, police searched his Knightsbridge home and recovered two bottles of GBL and a motion sensor-activated covert camera pointed at his bed. Prosecutors said the items supported their case that he intended to exploit drugged women.

After realising he had been “rumbled” at the club, Nath threw the vanilla extract bottle into a toilet cistern. It was later recovered by police. CCTV footage from Annabel’s also captured his actions at the table.

Nath admitted spiking the drink without the woman’s consent but denied trying to s*xually assault her. He claimed he had only wanted to “relax” her and said he had previously used GBL himself. He also said he had bought the substance to clean car wheel rims and did not know it was illegal.

The jury rejected his explanation. In the witness box, Nath broke down in tears and admitted his behaviour had been “wrong”. “I regret it very deeply,” he said.

When the verdicts were delivered, Nath looked down and shook his head in the dock. He wiped away tears as the judge remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing and was heard muttering, “That’s bulls***”.

He was convicted of attempting to administer a substance with intent and possessing a Class B drug.

After the trial, Timothy Greaves of the Crown Prosecution Service said Nath’s messages played a crucial role. “Vikas Nath deliberately spiked a woman’s drink with the intention of incapacitating her so he could s*xually assault her,” he said. “His own messages revealed what he wanted and why he acted.”

“Thanks to vigilant staff, the victim was protected and justice has now been served.”

Nath remains in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

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