An evil couple who poisoned a dancer with a drug known as ‘Devil’s breath’ have been found guilty of murdering him.
Joel Osei and his partner Diana Cristea first connected with Irish dancer Adrian Murphy using profiles on the gay dating app Grindr.
It was part of a twisted scheme cooked up by the duo to drug men before robbing them of their belongings.
They were both arrested after the 43-year-old victim’s body was found within a 17th-floor flat in London on June 4, 2019.
A probe was launched after it became apparent that paramedics had been called to the same property just days earlier after another man was found drugged.
Croydon Crown Court heard how the couple, aged 25 and 18, used Murphy’s details and attempted to buy £62,000 worth of diamonds from a jeweller in New York.
Both Osei and Cristea were also accused of one count of administering a poison or noxious substance so as to endanger life, two counts of theft and eight counts of fraud.
The jury returned a majority verdict on all counts for both defendants on Friday.
Osei admitted manslaughter but was convicted of murder.
He also pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of administering poison, with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy, and seven counts of fraud.
He denied two counts of theft.
Cristea admitted one count of fraud and two counts of handling stolen goods, but was also convicted on all counts.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told the court the drug scopolamine is known as "Devil's breath" in Colombia and is said to be "popular with robbers and rapists" to incapacitate their victims.
Following the verdict, Mr Murphy's brother, Robert Murphy, paid tribute to the "inspirational Irishman" and said his death had "left a huge void" within the family.
"The world is full of sameness, but this could not be said of our brother Adrian," he said in a statement.
"Adrian brought the love and art of dance to thousands of young people all over the world.
They are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on December 14.
