Man jailed for spiking drink in Ealing pub

A man who spiked a customer's drink at a pub in Ealing with the intention of sexually assaulting him has been jailed.

Eamon Kelly, 58, pleaded guilty to administering a substance with the intent to stupefy to allow sexual gain and was sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court on Tuesday.

Kelly put crushed up Viagra and sleeping tablets in a stranger's drink at a pub in The Broadway, Ealing, the court heard.

The victim, in his 30s, told police that Kelly had been smiling at him in an odd manner throughout his visit to the pub.

When he finished his drink he noticed the partially dissolved tablets in the bottom of his glass and confronted Kelly.

When pub staff reviewed CCTV they saw Kelly removing something from his left arm jacket pocket and dropping it into the victim’s glass.

Staff called the police who arrested Kelly for administering a noxious substance.

Officers found a small vial containing what appeared to be crushed tablets in a zip pocket in Kelly's left arm.

The victim did not require hospital treatment.

Kelly admitted in a police interview that he had crushed the pills years ago.

He said he found them the day before the incident and said he was curious about what would happen if he put the pills in someone’s drink to see what the reaction would be.

A Met Police spokesperson said Kelly had gone to the pub with the intention of drugging someone without their knowledge so he could sexually assault them.

"We take allegations of spiking extremely seriously and we will robustly target those who commit this heinous crime," said Detective Constable Benazir Bhati, the investigating officer from the West Area’s CID.

"We would encourage people who witness anything suspicious when they are out, or believes they have been spiked, to report it to bar staff or the police as soon as possible."