A drug dealer who targeted victims on Grindr has been found guilty of murdering a Bond actor with a fatal dose of chemsex drug GHB.

Gerald Matovu, a 26-year-old fraudster, was found guilty of murdering Eric Michels, who had an uncredited role in Skyfall, at his home in Chessington, Surrey, last August.

Matovu injected Mr Michels, 54, with a fatal dose of GHB, then made off with the actor’s mobile phone, MacBook, American driving licence and various cards, the court heard.

Mr Michels was one of 12 men targeted by Matovu and his lover Brandon Dunbar, 24, over a 19-month period.

Following an Old Bailey trial, Matovu, of Southwark, south London, was also found guilty of a string of other offences.

Matovu was also the drug dealer of serial killer Stephen Port, a chef who was sentenced to a whole life term for the rapes and murders of four men between 2014 and 2015. Jurors at Matovu’s trial were not told of his past connection to the serial killer.

Port sought his victims on dating websites including Grindr and dumped their bodies within 500m of his flat in Barking, east London.

Like Matovu, he used GHB, a sedative known as a date rape drug, spiking their drinks or injecting it into his victims before they realised what he was doing. They died of a fatal overdose.

Following Port’s 2016 trial, Matovu pleaded guilty to supplying mephedrone and GHB and offering to supply GHB, but denied knowing what Port planned to do.

In April 2017, Matovu was sentenced to 12 months community service, 150 hours of unpaid work and 40 days of drug rehabilitation.

At Matovu’s murder trial, prosecutors said the defendants took advantage of Grindr hook-ups to steal property and bank details.

The court heard how divorced father-of-three Mr Michels, 54, invited Matovu to his home in southwest London for sex after visiting Ku Bar and G-A-Y Bar in Soho on the evening of 16 August last year.

It is claimed Matovu then drugged Mr Michels and took photographs of his bank cards, driver’s licence and other personal information while he was dead or unconscious.

Matovu then took a taxi to Dunbar’s address with a suitcase and bottles of alcohol.

Family members discovered Mr Michels’ body in his bed the following day and an empty 3ml syringe without a needle attached was found on the floor.

Jurors heard that DNA from the victim and defendant, as well as traces of GHB, were identified on the syringe.

Matovu denied murder but accepted going home with him to have consensual sex.

He denied administering GHB to Mr Michels, claiming he took it of his own free will.

A jury deliberated for 26 hours to reach guilty verdicts on all the charges against both defendants.

Members of Mr Michel’s family in court shouted, “Yes – the rest of your life in prison” when the verdicts were announced.

Matovu was convicted of six counts of administering a noxious substance, seven thefts, six counts of having articles for fraud, murder, assault by penetration, assault occasioning bodily harm and possessing GBL drugs.

Dunbar, of Forest Gate, east London, was found guilty of three counts of administering a noxious substance, five thefts, six counts of having articles for fraud, two frauds, assault by penetration, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and dishonestly retaining wrongful credit.

They have both been remanded into custody and will be sentenced on 5 September.

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