Couple who poisoned and killed Banbury man ‘motivated solely by greed’

Adina Mihai, 31 and Madalin Dumitru, 30, poisoned and killed two men, including Banbury business owner Gary Mouat, at their homes.

They were both jailed for 17 years.

Mihai posed as a sex worker and stole valuable items from both homes after the poisonings.

As well as killing Mr Mouat, 37, and Malcolm King from Bagendon near Cirencester, the Romanians pleaded guilty to poisoning two other victims who survived.

Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, told the court Mihai would persuade each victim to drink alcohol laced with the poison. She would then search the home and steal valuables.

READ MORE: Banbury – Son of man poisoned and killed says ‘family is destroyed’

Thames Valley Police senior investigating officer detective inspector Michael Roddy (Image: TVP)

This was under the guise of Mihai offering sexual services for money. Mihai set herself up on the Vivastreet online platform as an escort.

Mr Evans said that Dumitru would drive Mihai to each address. He stored the poison in his car and bought the alcohol. He dropped her at the victims’ home, armed with weapons in case of trouble.

He said: “They were highly vulnerable to deception and deceit.”

Thames Valley Police senior investigating officer detective inspector Michael Roddy, of its major crime unit, said: “Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru deliberately targeted and exploited men for financial gain, showing a complete disregard for the devastating consequences of their actions.

“Their offending was calculated, predatory and ultimately cost two innocent men their lives.

“Gary Mouat and Malcolm King were much-loved family members whose deaths have left lasting pain for those who knew them.

“They were treated as opportunities for financial gain by Mihai and Dumitru, who were motivated solely by greed.

“Our thoughts remain with Gary and Malcolm’s families, who have shown immense dignity and resilience throughout this investigation.

“This case presented significant challenges and required officers and staff from Thames Valley Police and Gloucestershire Constabulary to work tirelessly to uncover the full extent of the offending and our investigation revealed a dangerous pattern of behaviour that may otherwise have remained hidden. The Crown Prosecution Service was also invaluable in stopping these offenders from causing further harm to the public.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes, and I hope it provides a measure of justice to the victims, their families and all those affected by the actions of Mihai and Dumitru.

“We are keeping an open mind to further offending and urge those who think they may have come into contact with the pair or may be a victim, to please come forward.

“I hope that the way we dealt with this investigation will demonstrate how seriously we take such investigations and how sensitively we will treat any reports of offences.”