Grindr killer Stephen Port who drugged, raped and killed four men plots appeal after sick claim his victims caused their own deaths
GRINDR killer Stephen Port has sparked outrage by launching an appeal - claiming his victims caused their own deaths.
Twisted Port, 43, was given a whole life jail term in 2016 after he was convicted of drugging, raping and killing four men and is being probed 58 more suspicious fatalities.
But sources close to his family have revealed the monster - dubbed “The Grindr Killer” after luring victims on gay dating sites - has shown no remorse.
And he is now seeking legal advice to launch an appeal claiming his murder and rape convictions are unsafe and he was guilty of lesser manslaughter charges.
A source close to the Port family told The Sun: “Stephen’s conviction for murder was way too high and untrue.
“If anything it should have been manslaughter as these deaths were a series of self inflicted accidental drug overdoses.
“It was proven in court that they had other drugs, medication and alcohol in their systems before they met up with Stephen.
“All of these can be lethal if taken alongside GHB.
“Stephen did not poison them.
“The rape charges will be dropped once the case is downgraded to manslaughter. Stephen didn’t murder anyone.”
The source added: “He still expects to serve time but to say this was murder is crazy.
“Stephen should have been more mature and assertive with these guys when taking GHB with them.
“He’s young in the head but he’s no murderer.”
Port was jailed in November 2016 for drugging and murdering men he met on a gay dating app before dumping their bodies in a graveyard.
He wanted to fulfil an obsession with having sex with unconscious partners, especially younger men known as "twinks".
Port drugged his victims Jack Taylor, Daniel Whitworth Gabriel Kovari and Anthony Walgate with an overdose of GHB so he could carry out his sick fantasies.
The date rape drug (gammahydroxybutrate) is used to treat narcolepsy but it can be highly dangerous with sedative and anaesthetic effects.
Chef Port then dumped his victim's bodies near a graveyard in Barking, East London, and began an elaborate cover-up.
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He lied to police, disposed of his victim's mobile phones and even planted a fake suicide note on Mr Whitworth - blaming him for the death of Mr Kovari.
He was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison after being handed a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey on November 25, 2016.
A spokeswoman acting for Port’s victims said: “The victims families remain assured of the safety of Port’s conviction and this changes nothing.”