Stephen Port: Family weep as last moments of alleged victim are shown in court

Fiona Simpson19 October 2016
WEST END FINAL

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Family members wept as the last sightings of alleged serial killer Stephen Port's fourth and final alleged murder victim were played out in court.

The 41-year-old chef met 25-year-old Jack Taylor at Barking Station having hooked-up with him via gay social network Grindr, the Old Bailey heard.

A series of CCTV clips apparently showed the dark-clothed figure of Port, with his mobile phone in hand, on his way to meet Mr Taylor at 3am on September 13, 2014.

The cameras then tracked the pair's journey back towards the defendant's one-bedroom flat in Cooke Street.

The footage apparently showed Port looming above the younger man, who cut a slight figure, as he walked side-by-side with his alleged killer.

Members of the alleged victims' families appeared grim faced, with some in tears, as the clips were shown to a jury.

The prosecution claimed that, like the three previous alleged murder victims, Mr Taylor died a short time later from an overdose of date rape drug GHB.

Jurors heard that four hours after the meeting at Barking station, Port had blocked his Grindr account, effectively wiping out their communication.

At just after 1pm the following day, within 36 hours of meeting his alleged killer, Mr Taylor's body was discovered by a bin man propped up in the same graveyard as two of Port's earlier alleged victims, the court heard.

Despite Mr Taylor being the fourth young man to be found in similar circumstances in 15 months, police initially treated his death as non-suspicious, the court has heard.

Jurors were told that no CCTV cameras covered the area of the churchyard where Mr Taylor's body was found.

Mr Taylor had been living with his parents in Dagenham and worked as a forklift truck driver.

Port has pleaded not guilty to 29 offences against a total of 12 men - including four murders, seven rapes, four sex assaults and administering a substance with intent.

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