A Rugby retailer has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to selling nitrous oxide, often known as ‘laughing gas’.
Vijayaratnam Kugathasan of All in One on Blackwood Avenue must also pay £2,000 towards prosecution costs and a victim charge.
He was charged with two offences of supplying nitrous oxide and one offence of possession with intent to supply nitrous oxide.
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards launched an investigation after Rugby Borough Council’s community safety wardens reported local community concerns that the store was selling nitrous oxide for recreational use as a psychoactive drug.
Undercover trading standards officers (TSOs) confirmed this by purchasing nitrous oxide cannisters from the shop, together with balloons (used to inhale the gas) and cracker devices (used to open the cannisters) on two occasions.
TSOs and Warwickshire Police then carried out a shop inspection. They seized 384 small cannisters of nitrous oxide, seven large fast gas nitrous oxide cannisters (and nozzles), 20 cracker devices and multiple packets of balloons.
The court heard that Vijayaratnam had hidden the drugs under the shop counter and in big bags and that he had “no doubt he knew he was selling nitrous oxide illegally to the public”.
On sentencing, HHJ Campbell, presiding, stated that nitrous oxide is illegal to sell to the public because it is dangerous and particularly to those with respiratory issues and its use had contributed to a fatality.
Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said: “I’m delighted that our Trading Standards Service acted quickly and decisively after concerns were raised by the local community that this Rugby store was selling nitrous oxide. This prosecution will help protect the health of Rugby people and sends a warning that the sale of nitrous oxide for recreational use will not be tolerated.”
In mitigation, Mr Halepas, representing Vijayaratnam said that he had now lost his good character.
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