Mother of Stephen Port’s first victim responds to BBC crime drama

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Met Police/BBC

Sarah Sak – the mother of Anthony Walgate, the first victim of ‘Grindr serial killer’ Stephen Port – has praised a BBC drama recounting her fight for a further police investigation into her son’s death.

Sheridan Smith portrays Sak in Four Lives – the first episode of which aired on BBC One last night. Port killed four men between 2014-2015.

Last month, an inquest jury ruled that Metropolitan Police failings “probably” contributed to the deaths of Port’s latter victims Gabriel Kovari, Jack Taylor, and Daniel Whitworth.

Police initially failed to join the dots after the bodies of three of the victims – beginning with Walgate – were found in the same Barking graveyard, 500 feet from Port’s flat.

“Sheridan was brilliant”

Speaking to The Sun, Sak said: “I had nightmares afterwards, wondering: Could I have done anything else?

“And I finally realised I couldn’t have, because it didn’t matter what I did or what I said — they just wouldn’t investigate, and they just didn’t care. He literally got away with murder for so long.”

She added: “I think Sheridan got me down to a tee. I swear like a trooper and I must admit when I was telling the story I didn’t think they’d put all my swearing in.

“I actually said to the police, ‘I hope you’re better than the last lot at finding who killed my son, because they couldn’t find a hole in their a**e.’ I didn’t mind it being in there, though, because that’s just how it was. Sheridan absolutely nailed me. She was brilliant.”

Stephen Merchant plays Port in the three-part drama, which continues tonight and ends tomorrow.

Port received a life sentence on 25 November 2016.