Families of Stephen Port’s victims raise money for another inquest
The former chef from London was found guilty of murdering four men he met on Grindr
By Steve Brown
The families of three of Stephen Port’s victims are raising money for another inquest into their deaths.
Former chef Port, of Barking, east London, was found guilty of killing Daniel Whitworth, 21, and Gabriel Kovari, 22, in 2014 after meeting them on hooking up app Grindr.
Inquests into the pairs’ deaths before Port’s conviction originally recorded an open verdict, but High Court Lord Justice Holroyde said that new inquests were both “necessary and desirable” after new evidence had come to light last year.
The body of Slovak-born artist Kovari, was discovered close to a churchyard in Barking on 28 August, 2014.
The body of Daniel Whitworth, from Kent, was found in the same spot less than three weeks later.
Daniel Whitworth and Gabriel Kovari
Port was also convicted last year of killing Anthony Walgate, 23, Jack Taylor, 25, whose bodies were discovered in an around the same east London churchyard where Daniel and Gabriel’s bodies had been found.
Police faced huge criticism after they failed to link the murders after the four bodies were found near Port’s home.
Now, the families of Anthony, Jack and Daniel are trying to raise £10,000 to help cover inquest costs after they claim the police could have prevented their deaths.
On the crowdjustice page, they write: “We believe that their deaths could have been avoided if the police had done their jobs instead of dismissing our boys as drug-taking gays.
Jack Taylor and Anthony Walgate
“We now need help to get the best legal representation possible at the inquests into the deaths.
“We feel the police let us down before and we don’t want to be let down again. This is our chance to get answers and accountability.
“£10,000 won’t cover all the legal costs but it will be a great help. All four inquests are due to be held together next year.
“They will look into how our boys died, the role the Metropolitan Police played into the deaths will also be examined.
“The inquests are also an opportunity to identify failings and stop other innocent people dying in this way, as well preventing other families having to go through what we have since our boys died.
“We’ve waited a long time for this and we’re desperate for answers.”
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