THIS is the moment a Michelin-star restaurant boss spiked a customer’s spicy margarita to have sex with her, a court heard.
Vikas Nath, 63, is accused of using a straw to lace the woman’s drink with GBL in the rooftop garden bar at Annabel’s members club in Mayfair.
Vikas Nath was filmed spiking a woman’s drink, jurors heardCredit: PA
Officers found a vanilla extract bottle that contained the date rape drug in the toilet cisternCredit: PA
Staff had switched the drink, jurors were toldCredit: PA
The restaurateur, who manages venues across the UK and including two with Michelin stars, allegedly wanted to have sex with the woman.
Footage played to jurors showed Nath pouring the substance, which can be used as a date-rape drug, into the punter’s drink.
But he was rumbled when eagle-eyed staff at the £3,750 a year club spotted what he was doing and alerted .
Officers later found an empty bottle of “Madagascan vanilla extract” used to administer the substance floating in the toilet bowl in the gents, jurors heard.
Southwark Crown was told there were also two bottles of GBL under his sink at home.
Tim Clark KC, prosecuting, said: “He tried to hide the evidence of what he had done, going to the lavatory and throwing that little bottle into the cistern, and it was floating about when police recovered it.”
Nath admits spiking the drink but says it was to “relax” the woman rather than as part of a plan to have sex with her.
But jurors heard he had messaged a friend before the spiking suggesting he wanted sex from her and was “frustrated” it had not happened yet.
On the day the drink was drugged, Nath wrote: “I’m at Annabel’s. This is probably the last evening with [her]. She ain’t biting.”
The friend replied: “Action time I hope.”
Nath also had a camera in his bedroom, which was activated by motion sensor, the court heard.
The footage was automatically recorded and stored, with the restaurant boss admitting he had used it in the past to “covertly” record sexual activity.
Nath had been invited by the woman to Annabel’s in January 2024 but when she left to show two friends around, staff spotted him carrying out some “rather strange actions”, it was said.
He was captured putting a straw into the woman’s drink and sticking his fingers over the top.
The staff members then noticed a small bottle in Nath’s hand, which he put the straw into and appeared to “suck up liquid”, the court heard.
Jurors were told he put the straw back in the cocktail and removed his finger from the top so the liquid would go in.
As police raced to the exclusive club, the drink was swapped out by staff.
Mr Clark said: “This case is unusual because there’s no dispute Mr Nath spiked her drink.
“His acceptance is not surprising, he had little choice because the spiking was captured on CCTV at Annabel’s.
“Due to the actions of quick-thinking staff, the spiked drink was retrieved, and [she] was warned.”
Nath later told police he bought the GBL as a cleaning fluid for a high-performance car and had been told by a friend it could also be drunk with alcohol as a “relaxant”.
He denies attempting to administer a substance with intent and possession of a Class B drug.
The trial continues.
Nath allegedly wanted to drug the woman to have sex with herCredit: Getty
He has denied the alleged offencesCredit: PA
The spiking took place at Annabel’s private club in MayfairCredit: Alamy
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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