Vikas Nath, 63, was caught on CCTV putting liquid into a woman’s margarita at the exclusive Mayfair club, but denies charges of attempting to administer a substance with intent
A top Knightsbridge restaurant owner was caught red-handed slipping a date-rape drug into a woman’s cocktail at the posh private members’ club, a court was told.
Vikas Nath, 63, was spotted using a straw to add gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) to the woman’s spicy margarita whilst they sat in the rooftop garden bar at the swanky Mayfair venue, Annabel’s.
Southwark Crown Court was told that Annabel’s staff clocked Nath dipping the straw into a tiny bottle of Madagascan vanilla extract he’d pulled from his pocket, sucking up the liquid before slipping it into the margarita.
Quick-thinking staff managed to swap the spiked drink for a fresh one before the woman could take a sip, whilst Nath threw the GBL bottle into a toilet cistern as police arrived, the court was told.
Nath, who owns a string of high-end restaurants across the UK and Spain, including two boasting Michelin stars, admitted to doctoring the drink but claims it was simply to “relax” the woman rather than part of any scheme to sleep with her.
The jury heard that Nath had installed a camera in his Knightsbridge home’s bedroom, which was triggered by movement and automatically recorded and saved footage.
He admitted to previously using the device to “covertly” film sexual encounters.
Prosecutor Tim Clark KC revealed that Nath had also been messaging a friend before the spiking incident on January 15, 2024, making clear he was keen to sleep with the woman and felt “frustrated” that it hadn’t happened yet. “This case is unusual because there’s no dispute Mr Nath spiked her drink,” said Mr Clark.
“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.
“Staff replaced it with a fresh one, and police were called to the club.”
The court was told the woman had brought Nath to Annabel’s, where she held regular membership, and they headed to the rooftop bar where she ordered a spicy margarita.
The woman stepped away from the table to give two friends a tour of the club, and Mr Clark said two staff members then witnessed “rather strange actions” by Nath, who had been left alone with the group’s drinks.
“(They) watched Mr Nath put a straw into (her) drink, sticking his finger over the top”, the prosecutor said.
The staff members noticed a small bottle in Nath’s hand, which he seemed to be “hiding”, and then saw him placing the straw into the bottle and appearing to “suck up liquid”.
“He then put the straw, put it into her drink, and took his finger off the top, and any liquid transported would go into the drink.”
The staff members informed senior managers who reviewed the CCTV and warned the woman that her drink may have been tampered with, jurors heard.
Whilst police were en route, the woman came back to the table and a bar worker swapped the doctored margarita for a fresh one.
Nath was told it was because it “tasted a little watery”. “Before the police turned up, Mr Nath clearly realised that he had been caught red-handed,” Mr Clark explained.
“He attempted to conceal the evidence of his actions, rushing to the toilet and chucking that small bottle into the cistern, where it was bobbing about when officers retrieved it.”
The court was told the bottle contained traces of GBL, with two additional bottles of the substance later discovered beneath his kitchen sink at his residence.
During police questioning, Nath claimed he had obtained the GBL as cleaning fluid for a high-performance vehicle, and had been informed by a mate that it could also be consumed with alcohol as a “relaxant”.
“He stated that he only spiked her drink to relax her,” Mr Clark revealed.
The prosecutor explained that Nath informed officers he had been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time, attributing it to his divorce from his wife.
The court was informed he maintains he was unaware that the GBL at his property was an illegal substance.
He insisted he ditched the vanilla extract bottle in the loo because he believed the club would disapprove of his behaviour.
The court heard Nath had texted a mate on the day of the spiking incident, writing: “I’m at Annabel’s. This is probably the last evening with (her). She ain’t biting.”
His friend then responded: “Action time I hope.”
Prior to that day, Nath had told his friend in November 2023 “I want to get laid, not hold hands”, and the following month he suggested he would “need to play the long game”. The court was informed that Nath made remarks in messages about the woman’s physique, and told his mate he would need to engage in “old fashioned seduction….the issue is do I have the patience for it”.
Mr Clark informed the court that Nath was “impatient with lack of progress”, and he suggested the evidence indicates the restaurateur “wanted to have sex at his house where there was a camera and it could record it”.
Nath denies attempting to administer a substance with intent and possession of a Class B drug.
The trial continues.