A SHOPKEEPER in Rugby borough sold a Class C drug to youngsters ‘on a commercial scale’ from his shop near a primary school and a children’s centre.
Sethukavalar Ramasethu, 55, of Holbrook Road, Long Lawford – the owner of Long Lawford Stores in the same street – has been sentenced at Coventry Crown Court to 20 months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
He was also handed a legal bill of £7,920.
At a previous hearing Mr Ramasethu had pleaded guilty to one offence of supplying Nitrous Oxide and one offence of possession with intent to supply Nitrous Oxide.
A young undercover Trading Standards Officer working for Warwickshire County Council paid £31.99 for a giant canister of Nitrous Oxide and a pack of balloons – used to inhale the gas – from the store.
Trading Standards was acting on information from Warwickshire Police that the store was selling Nitrous Oxide, and an 18-year-old had been hospitalised with burns to his throat and airways after allegedly breathing in the Class C drug.
While there was no evidence that the Nitrous Oxide in that case had been sold by Ramasethu, there was reasonable inference as he had accepted he was selling Nitrous Oxide to young people.
Following the undercover purchase, Trading Standards Officers supported by Warwickshire Police raided the store and discovered 30 Nitrous Oxide cannisters, some hidden in black bin liners behind boxes of wine, and bags of balloons. A total of 32 cannisters were seized.
The shopkeeper was found to have been organising the buying and selling of large cannisters of Nitrous Oxide on a commercial scale, knowing they would be consumed for their psychoactive properties, that doing so was harmful and to make a financial gain.
Warwickshire County Councillor Michael Bannister, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Localities, said: “The harmful sale of Nitrous Oxide concerns our communities. Our Trading Standards Service took decisive action to both seize the Nitrous Oxide and prosecute the seller, protecting local residents and especially young people.”
His Honour Judge Berlin, presiding, stated that it had been known for a long time that Nitrous Oxide was dangerous, that the defendant was in possession of large cannisters of the product – not the small silver bottles often seen littering streets – and his shop was adjacent to a Sure Start Children’s Centre and Primary School.
He added that Ramasethu was very lucky to be walking out of court.
In mitigation, Sarah Taylor, representing Ramasethu, said her client had not been in trouble for 24 years, had been naïve and was extremely remorseful. She added her client’s wife had health conditions, that he had put his family under a great deal of stress and that they relied on him.
Report drug related crime to police by calling 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
