Solihull man jailed after spiking women’s drinks
- Published
Siriwardhana was convicted of two counts of administering a noxious substance with intent to commit a sexual act
A businessman who spiked the drinks of two women in a bid to lure them into sex has been jailed for six years.
Ganga Siriwardhana, 51, arranged dates with them in Birmingham in April and May 2017, after speaking on social media using a fake identity, West Midlands Police said.
The force has thanked people who saw Siriwardhana's drink spike attempts and helped "thwart his main intentions".
He denied two charges but was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court.
Siriwardhana, of Warwick Road, Solihull, was found guilty of two counts of administering a noxious substance with intent to commit a sexual act, and jailed on Friday.
The two students from China were spiked with clozapine, which can lead to severe drowsiness, according to the force.
One of the women collapsed in a restaurant and other diners became suspicious as he tried to take her out, the force said.
Police said Siriwardhana, who was studying Chinese at the time, also spiked the drinks of another woman - just weeks apart - but a member of the public saw her drowsy state and called police.
Det Con Laurence Green said: "Victims can be left with a loss of control through absolutely no fault of their own. This was something that Siriwardhana was preying on to lure them into sex.
"I would like to thank the public who stepped in on both occasions when they saw what was happening and called us; their interventions were crucial in thwarting his main intentions."