The inquests into the deaths of the victims of serial killer Stephen Port are due to open on Tuesday.

In 2016, 46-year-old Port, from Barking, was found guilty of the murders of Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21, and 25-year-old Jack Taylor between June 2014 and September 2015.

The four young gay men were given fatal overdoses of the date rape drug GHB by Port.

On Monday, their lawyer Neil Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: “It has been seven years and three months since Anthony Walgate was murdered; seven years and one month since Gabriel Kovari was murdered; just over seven years since Daniel Whitworth was murdered; and just over six years since Jack Taylor was murdered.

“Their families have felt every single day of their absence.

“They have waited with great patience and conducted themselves with real dignity.

The inquests at Barking Town Hall will seek to answer questions relating to how the murders were investigated.

Fuel crisis: Military begins deliveries to petrol stations as part of Operation Escalin as driver shortage continues

Serving Metropolitan Police officer appears in court charged with rape

Insulate Britain protest: Tearful woman pleads with demonstrators blocking Blackwall Tunnel to let her see her sick mother

On Friday, Sarah Munro, assistant coroner for the East London area, told jurors to focus on the evidence in court as they were sworn in to hear the inquests.

She told them: “On Tuesday… we will commence hearing inquests into the deaths of four young men who were murdered by a man called Stephen Port in 2014 and 2015.

“They were killed by him with overdoses of a date rape drug called GHB and their bodies were discarded by him yards from where we are sitting now.”

The inquests, which were postponed due to the pandemic, are expected to last for up to 10 weeks.

Related posts:

UK records more than 10,000 new COVID cases and further 11 deaths UK reports another 10,321 COVID cases and 14 deaths E-scooter rider dies in hospital – six days after being critically injured in collision with a car Dancers back on Blackpool Tower’s ballroom floor for first time in 16 months Public Health England extends its heat-health alert until Friday UK records more than 40,000 COVID cases for fifth day in a row, latest daily figures show Man who died in house fire named as ‘devastated’ family pay tribute Long read: The quest for net zero – can carbon capture finally deliver? Amazon to stop accepting payments using UK-issued Visa credit cards Nine Insulate Britain activists jailed for breaching injunction to prevent road blockades ‘Hidden pandemic’: Warning of surge in antibiotic-resistance infections after COVID Murder accused recorded on phone as he stabbed and strangled girlfriend after eating cannabis brownie, court hears