Restaurant boss convicted of attempting to spike woman’s drink

A man who attempted to spike a woman’s drink with the intent of sexually assaulting her has been convicted. 

Vikas Nath, 63, was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service. 

Today, following a trial at Southwark Crown Court, Nath, of Knightsbridge, was found guilty of one count of attempting to administer a substance with intent and one count of possessing a Class B drug. 

Timothy Greaves for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Vikas Nath deliberately spiked a woman’s drink without her knowledge with the intention of incapacitating her so he could sexually assault her.

“Thankfully, alert bar staff witnessed what he was doing and were able to warn the victim that her drink had been tampered with before calling the police.

"Despite his attempts to hide evidence and deny his intentions, we worked closely with the Metropolitan Police to build a strong case to present at trial, resulting in the jury finding him guilty.

"Spiking is an incredibly serious offence that leaves victims traumatised and fearful. While these offences can often go undetected, the CPS is clear that offenders like Nath will face the full extent of the law so we can deliver the justice victims deserve."

Prosecutors were able to build a strong case for trial, utilising witness testimonies, CCTV footage and forensic evidence. 

The court heard that on 15 January 2024, staff at Annabel’s, a private members club in Mayfair, London, witnessed the defendant take a small vial out of his pocket when the victim had left the table and use a straw to transfer a substance from the vial into the victim’s glass. 

Staff warned the victim before she returned to her seat to not drink her drink and took it away, swapping it with a new drink.

Police were called but found no drugs on Nath. Staff pointed out that he had gone to the bathroom, and after a search of the club’s toilet cubicle, a small vial was found in the toilet’s cistern. 

The vial was examined and found to contain traces of the drug gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). 

The case was passed to the CPS for a charging decision on 16 January 2024, who authorised police to charge him the same day.