Fatal Drugging Scheme
Romanian Couple Sentenced 17 Years for Drugging, Robbing, and Killing Two Men
Key Points
Dumitru waited outside victims' homes while Mihai entered to persuade the man to drink alcohol laced with GBL, rendering him unconscious, then Mihai would search for valuables and rejoin Dumitru inside the property.
One victim was Malcolm King, 80, a Gloucestershire property magnate who invited Mihai to his Bagendon mansion; his body was found the following morning by his housekeeper, who also discovered an empty wine bottle and two glasses nearby.
Another victim, Gary Mouat, 36, died in Banbury, Oxfordshire after Mihai left him unconscious following the drink-spiking; Mouat was among four men targeted in the scheme, with forensic links connecting his poisoning to Mihai.
During court proceedings, it emerged that two other men were also poisoned but cannot be named for legal reasons; Mihai and Dumitru pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and administering poison and were sentenced to 17 years in prison each.
A Romanian couple who posed as a sex worker to lure men, drug them, and rob them have been jailed for 17 years each after two of their victims died. Adina Mihai, 31, and her partner Madalin Dumitru, 30, were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter and two counts of administering poison, according to Seaside Radio.
The victims who died were Malcolm King, 80, a property magnate from Bagendon, Gloucestershire, and Gary Mouat, 36, from Banbury, Oxfordshire. Prosecutors said the couple did not set out to kill — they wanted to knock men unconscious and steal from them. The drug they used, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), proved fatal twice, reports GB News.
How the Honeytrap Scheme Worked Step by Step
Mihai advertised sexual services and arranged to meet men at their own homes. Once inside, she persuaded the victim to drink wine secretly laced with GBL — a powerful sedative. When the man fell unconscious, she searched the home for cash and valuables. Dumitru waited outside, then came in to help once Mihai had incapacitated the victim, according to KMFM.
Police described the roles as deliberate and calculated. Mihai was the front, using her presence to gain trust and get the victim to drink. Dumitru played a support role, staying nearby until it was safe to enter. The scheme targeted at least four men in total, V2 Radio reported.
Malcolm King Found Dead by His Housekeeper the Next Morning
Malcolm King, 80, invited Mihai to his mansion in Bagendon, Gloucestershire. His housekeeper found him dead the following morning. Near his body were an empty wine bottle and two glasses — key forensic clues that helped investigators piece together what had happened, according to GB News.
King was a well-known property figure in Gloucestershire. His death, along with that of Gary Mouat in Banbury, triggered a national police bulletin. Forensic links connected both deaths to Mihai, allowing Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire police to identify and arrest the pair, Gloucestershire Live reported.
Two Other Victims Survived but Cannot Be Named
Beyond the two deaths, two other men were also drugged and robbed as part of the same scheme. Those men survived but cannot be named for legal reasons. The couple admitted to poisoning all four men. Each admission formed part of their guilty pleas at Oxford Crown Court, according to Seaside Radio.
Police believe Mihai and Dumitru may have targeted even more men, including two additional victims from Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire Live reported that investigators are looking into whether the pair carried out further attacks that have not yet come to light.
17-Year Sentences Close a Case Built on Forensic Evidence
Both Mihai and Dumitru received 17-year prison sentences. The judge sentenced them for two counts of manslaughter and two counts of administering poison. Prosecutors made clear the intent was theft, not murder — but the use of GBL, a drug with a narrow safe dose range, made death a foreseeable risk, KMFM reported.
The case was cracked through forensic detective work. Police matched chemical and physical evidence from separate crime scenes to Mihai, then issued a national bulletin that led to the arrests. The investigation spanned two counties and exposed a scheme built on exploiting vulnerable men who sought paid companionship, according to V2 Radio.
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