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The Barking Murders is BritBox's three-part true-crime miniseries based on the crimes of Stephen Port, aka The Grindr Killer. Written by award-winning writers Jeff Pope and Neil McKay, it stars Stephen Merchant as Stephen Port and Sheridan Smith as the mother of one of Port's victims.
The series premiered on June 7, 2022, exclusively on BritBox, a streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV. The official synopsis for the miniseries reads:
"From the award-winning writers of A Confession, Stephen Merchant gives a chilling performance as serial killer Stephen Port in this poignant true crime drama. Families fight for the truth when the police fail to help them following the death of their loved ones."
Here's all you need to know about Stephen Port and his current whereabouts as The Barking Murders releases.
Stephen Port: The notorious killer from Essex featured in The Barking Murders
Stephen Port is a convicted British serial r*pist and killer. He killed four men and committed several r*pes, for which he received a life sentence on November 25, 2016. He used g*y or bis*x*al dating apps and social networks to lure his victims to his flat in Barking, London, before drugging them with fatal doses of GHB and murdering them.
His victims were Anthony Walgate (23), Gabriel Kovari (22), Daniel Whitworth (21), and Jack Taylor (25). They were all attacked and killed by Port between 2014 and 2015. He then dumped their bodies, making it look like the men had died due to drug overdoses. He even planted a fake suicide note next to Daniel Whitworth's body, suggesting that he had earlier killed Gabriel Kovari and then himself out of guilt.
He is known to have steered the course of justice by lying about his involvement in the 2014 murder of Anthony Walgate and was jailed for it. However, by that time, he had murdered two more men. After being released early from prison, he killed his final victim, Jack Taylor.
Where is Stephen Port now?
Port was charged with four counts of murder and four of administering poison in 2015. However, in June 2016, prosecutors at the Old Bailey added six more counts of administering poison, seven of r*pe and four of s*xual assault. Port also faced four alternative charges of manslaughter. He denied all the charges when he appeared from HM Prison Belmarsh via a video link.
He was convicted of his crimes on November 23, 2016, and was found guilty on all counts. A total of 12 men were known to be victims of Port's crimes. On November 25, 2016, he received a sentence of life imprisonment with a whole-life order. He currently remains incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh.
What is The Barking Murders about?
The three-part true-crime series is based on extensive research conducted by Neil McKay and Jeff Pope via the families of murder victims. It focuses on the victims' loved ones and people who relentlessly fought to unveil the truth, thereby helping the investigation bring a dangerous, psychopathic killer to justice.
The BritBox miniseries stars Stephen Merchant in the role of Stephen Port. Sheridan Smith plays the role of Anthony Walgate's mother, who refused to believe that her son died of an overdose and was outspoken in her criticism of the investigating authorities.
The series goes beyond what's known and sheds light on the failings of the police, and the traumatic impact these crimes had on not only the victims' loved ones but also on the gay community in London.
The Barking Murders is now available to watch exclusively on BritBox.
