The trial of restaurateur Vikas Nath continues at Southwark Crown Court after staff at Annabel’s say they saw him add liquid to a woman’s drink on Jan. 15, 2024. Police recovered a vial containing gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and found two more bottles at his home. Nath admits adding GBL to the drink to "relax" the woman but denies any intent to facilitate sexual activity; prosecutors point to CCTV and other evidence. The court also heard that Nath had a motion-activated camera in his bedroom.
London Restaurateur on Trial After Admitting He Put GBL in Woman’s Drink to ‘Relax’ Her
Cocktails at a barGetty
A London restaurateur, Vikas Nath, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court after being seen allegedly trying to spike a woman’s drink at the private members’ club Annabel’s on Jan. 15, 2024. Nath has denied the criminal charges but told police he put gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in the woman’s glass to "relax" her, not to facilitate sexual activity.
What Happened
The court heard that the woman had invited Nath to Annabel’s and left her drink with him and friends. Staff observed Nath using a small straw to transfer liquid from a vial in his pocket—described at trial as resembling a bottle of vanilla extract—into the woman’s drink. Club employees intervened, replaced the affected drink before she consumed it and contacted police.
Evidence Presented
Police later retrieved the discarded vial from a club toilet water tank; laboratory tests found the bottle contained GBL, a chemical sometimes used recreationally as a depressant and classified in the U.K. as a Class B drug. Officers also discovered two further bottles of GBL under Nath’s sink.
Vikas NathDavid M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
Prosecutor Tim Clark KC told jurors that CCTV from the club captured the action, and that Nath’s subsequent admission was therefore unsurprising. When questioned, Nath said he had obtained the liquid as a cleaning fluid for a car and that a friend had told him it could be consumed as a "relaxant."
Additional Court Details
The court heard that police found a motion-activated camera in one of Nath’s bedrooms that he acknowledged using to "covertly" record sexual activity. The alleged victim told jurors that she and Nath had met several times before, often for lunch, and that his habit of sampling drinks with a small straw had not initially worried her.
The charges before the jury include attempting to administer a substance with intent and possession of a Class B drug. The trial is ongoing as jurors consider CCTV footage, witness testimony and forensic evidence presented in court.
Note: The allegations remain subject to trial. No finding of guilt has been made.
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