Adina Mihai, 31, and Madalin Dumitru, 30, arranged to meet men seeking sexual services at their homes and drugged them with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in order to steal from them between August 2024 and July 2025.

Mihai and male defendant Dumitru took financial deposits from the victims before Mihai met them at their homes, Thames Valley Police said.

The pair pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday via video-link to the manslaughter of Malcolm King, 80, in Bagendon, Gloucestershire, on August 20, 2024 and Gary Mouat, 37, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on July 12, 2025.

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Madalin Dumitru. (Image: Thames Valley Police)

They also pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously administering poison in the form of GBL to a man on July 13, 2025, and another man on July 22, 2025 – both men’s identities are protected by a reporting restriction.

The court heard that the pair committed the offences following an agreement to “render the individuals unconscious in order to steal property from them” by secretly spiking their drinks with GBL – a substance that converts into GHB when in the body.

Thames Valley Police said once detectives discovered Mihai had poisoned Mr Mouat, the force issued a national bulletin to all other police forces to share the intelligence in case any other unexplained deaths in the country were linked.

Forensic links led to Gloucestershire Constabulary discovering Mr King had also been poisoned, after initially believing his death was not suspicious because of a pre-existing health condition.

Mihai and Dumitru, both formerly of Ilford, Essex, were arrested on July 31 last year, and their guilty pleas meant a trial, due to open on Wednesday, will not take place.

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Adina Mihai. (Image: Thames Valley Police)

Mrs Justice Brunner KC told the pair she would be passing “substantial sentences of imprisonment” on them.

The judge added that she would sentence the pair at “some point in late July or early August” at Oxford Crown Court and remanded them in custody.

Police said “no other deaths, poisonings or thefts have been linked to the investigation, at this time”, but they are “keeping an open mind about the possibility of other victims”.

Prosecutor Julian Evans KC told the court: “The offences were committed pursuant to an agreement between the defendants to render the individuals unconscious in order to steal property from them should such property be identified within their respective addresses.

“The pleas are acceptable to the prosecution as a means of resolving the indictment in this case.”

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Mr Evans said the decision to accept the manslaughter pleas followed “contact with families of the deceased men” and consultation with “police forces who have investigated these matters over the course of many, many months”.

Thames Valley Police senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Michael Roddy said it had been an “extremely complex and resource‑intensive investigation”.

The police officer added: “Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru used drugs to incapacitate men who had been seeking sexual services, before stealing from them.

“For Gary Mouat, these actions had fatal consequences, so I am pleased to have got answers for his family and would like to thank them for their support throughout our investigation.”

Gloucestershire Constabulary’s senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Adam Stacey, said: “Tragically for Mr King, Mihai and Dumitru’s callous and calculated actions had fatal consequences.

“The tireless work of all those involved in the joint investigation left Mihai and Dumitru with little choice but to plead guilty to manslaughter and administering poison in the face of overwhelming evidence.”

The record was broken when provisional temperatures reached 36°C in Wisley, Surrey, and Gosport, Hampshire, today (Wednesday, June 24), the Met Office said.

It follows provisional temperatures reaching 35.7°C in Charlwood, Surrey, and 35.8°C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, earlier on in the day.

Wednesday’s highs break the previous top temperature of 35.6°C in 1976 and 1957, the forecaster said.

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It comes as much of England and Wales swelters in exceptionally hot and humid conditions, which have prompted a rare red warning from the Met Office for extreme heat.

The heatwave, which has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption, is driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent.

The 50-year-old record has fallen as climate change, mostly the result of burning fossil fuels, is driving increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, which experts say the UK is not prepared for.

Figures are currently provisional and would be verified at the end of the heatwave to check if it is a new national record.

Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: “If confirmed, a new June daily temperature record would be significant, especially following on the heels of the recent records set in May.

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“The new record provides further evidence that temperatures previously considered extreme are becoming increasingly common as a result of human-induced climate change.”

Temperatures could rise even higher on Thursday, the Met Office said.

If they hit 39°C, that would make it the second-hottest day in the UK on record and the hottest June day on record. If 38°C is recorded, that is still in the top five days ever recorded and still hotter than any day of the 20th century.

The record comes amid a sweltering heatwave, with the Met Office issuing a rare red warning for extreme heat for Wednesday and Thursday for an area from London and the south coast to Swansea, Somerset and Birmingham.

Red heat health alerts have also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the East of England, East Midlands, London, the South East, the South West and the West Midlands, and amber heat health alerts for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

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These alerts are in place from 4pm on Wednesday to 11pm on Friday, and mean “adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and well-being of the population”.

The Met Office has also issued an amber warning for heat on Friday, covering much of England, while a yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place for the South West on Thursday evening.

And with the extreme heat set to linger in some parts of the country into the weekend, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat covering parts of east and south-east England on Saturday.

At least 1,000 schools and nurseries will either be closed or partially closed in England and Wales over the next two days.

Some have brought in early finishing times or relaxed uniform rules, while transport services have been disrupted, and people are being urged to stay inside, close windows and curtains and stay hydrated to beat the heat.

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Night-time temperatures have also been unusually high, staying above 20°C in many places, with Brize Norton in Oxfordshire not dipping below 22.3°C and Heathrow, west London, not dipping below 22.1 °C, the Met Office said.

These “tropical nights” make it hard to sleep and for people to recover from the heat of the day, experts warned.

More than 100 schools will be at least partly closed in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire. In Somerset, more than 200 schools will be shut or operating on more limited opening hours.

Children at some schools have been told they can wear a PE kit rather than a full school uniform, which can involve long trousers and blazers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said parents should send children to school if they remain open, saying schools were taking steps to help pupils cope with the heat, and absences had a cost.

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“I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school,” she said.

Transport bosses have urged people to avoid travelling on Wednesday and Thursday and are warning those who do to “prepare for a disrupted journey”.

Travel into central London in the past few days was down on last week as workers heeded advice to stay at home during the heatwave, while there were disruptions on a raft of rail lines.

The heatwave has prompted new calls for the Government to take more action to protect the UK from increasingly extreme heat – a feature of the changing climate – including cooling for hospitals, schools and care homes.

The Met Office said the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have increased worldwide.

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Professor Stephen Belcher, Met Office chief scientist, said: “Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense. To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering.

“Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.”

In Hampshire, Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton, have been closed off to the public as police marine units join other emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing after last being seen swimming at 1.35pm on Wednesday.

Police marine units have joined emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing at 1.35pm on Wednesday after last being seen swimming at Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We have deployed the marine units to aid in the search, alongside colleagues from NPAS, South Central Ambulance Service, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Service.”

Pet owners and families have been urged to take extra care as a historic heatwave grips Oxfordshire under a Met Office red extreme heat warning.

The red alert, in place on Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25, covers much of England, including Oxfordshire, with forecasters warning daytime temperatures will widely exceed 30°C and could reach 36°C in some areas, alongside very warm, humid nights.

Local councils and health bodies are advising people to avoid open water such as rivers and lakes, because of cold‑water shock, hidden currents and pollution risks, and instead use supervised pools and splash parks to cool down.

Hinksey Outdoor Pool in south Oxford is one of the most popular places to take a safe dip, offering a 35m heated open‑air lido with lifeguards on duty during public sessions.

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The pool runs timed swims through the summer, with a shallow fun area for children and a deeper section for more serious swimmers, plus a poolside café, making it a well‑managed option when the mercury climbs.

Next to the lido, Hinksey’s splash area gives younger children a way to enjoy the water without entering the main pool, with jets and shallow surfaces designed for supervised play rather than swimming.

It sits within a wider park space, allowing families to combine cool‑down time with picnics and outdoor play while still staying close to lifeguarded water.

In Abingdon, Abbey Meadow outdoor pool provides another open‑air swimming option, run as a community facility beside the Thames.

The graduated L‑shaped pool is popular with families, and the surrounding meadow includes a well‑used splash pad, giving children a chance to run through fountains without going into deeper water.

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Wallingford’s Riverside Park and Pools site combines an outdoor pool with a separate splash park, again positioned next to the river but clearly fenced and signed so swimming is kept within the managed facilities.

The complex operates lifeguarded sessions and has become a regular summer destination for residents looking to cool off safely rather than enter the Thames itself.

To the north of the county, Woodstock Open Air Pool offers a 25m, four‑lane outdoor pool close to the town centre.

The seasonal pool is a short hop from Blenheim Palace and is widely used by local families and swimmers during hot weather, providing a more intimate alternative to city sites.

Cutteslowe Park in north Oxford has a dedicated splash pad, giving younger children a shallow, spray‑based way to cool down, with features designed to minimise risk and allow parents to supervise from the edge.

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The water play area sits alongside the park’s play equipment and miniature railway, making it a full day‑out option without needing to go near open water.

In Witney, The Leys recreation ground includes a splash park that operates in the summer months, with jets and low‑level features for under‑12s.

It is part of a wider leisure area with sports pitches and a play park, and is regularly highlighted in local “heatwave guides” as a safer alternative to rivers or lakes.

Edmonds Park in Didcot has been fitted with a modern splash area that is used heavily during warm spells, providing shallow water play under the eye of parents and carers.

Alongside the splash pad, the park’s open space allows families to find shade and set up blankets away from direct sun while still close to the water features.

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Back in Abingdon, the Abbey Meadows splash space sits near the outdoor pool but is run as a separate, shallower play facility, aimed at younger children and those not yet confident enough for full swimming.

It forms part of a cluster of “beat the heat” options promoted by South Oxfordshire District Council during periods of extreme weather.

For those preferring indoor swimming or a more controlled environment, leisure centres such as Didcot Wave and Henley Leisure Centre, as well as members’ clubs like David Lloyd Oxford, offer heated pools year‑round.

City authorities are reminding residents that, during the red warning, the safest way to cool down is to use these lifeguarded pools and splash areas, stay hydrated, avoid the hottest part of the day and keep clear of unsupervised rivers, lakes and quarries.