Brentwood man sentenced to 18 months in prison in one of the first laughing gas convictions in the UK
Essex Police say 30-year-old Thomas Salton, of William Hunter Way, Brentwood, Essex, admitted to the offence last month
Last updated 19th Feb 2024
A man from Brentwood has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, for one of the first nitrous oxide convictions in the UK.
30-year-old Thomas Salton, of William Hunter Way, Brentwood, Essex, was today sentenced for possession with intent to supply nitrous oxide, in one of the first cases since the change of law, at Southend Crown Court.
The ban on nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, came into force in November 2023 as part of the Government's anti-social behaviour action plan.
Nitrous oxide is now a class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Salton was arrested on December 1 in Basildon, when he was stopped by Essex Police officers as the car he was in was flagged for no insurance.
He was stopped and searched, with officers finding nitrous oxide cannisters, £38,000 in cash, and further drugs.
Last month, he admitted possession with intent to supply a class B drug, possession of a class A drug, and possession of criminal property, police said, as well as the nitrous oxide charges.
Speaking after conviction, Superintendent Philip Stinger, of Essex Police, said the change in the law gives officers "more options when dealing with the anti-social behaviour so often associated with the use and supply of nitrous oxide as a recreational substance".
"This means a proportionate approach to tackling those found in possession of nitrous oxide canisters, including explaining the change in law and encouraging people not to use or buy the substance," he said.
"But where we are dealing with a larger number of canisters, it is right we take robust and swift action and put this new legislation to use.
"The use of nitrous oxide in public spaces is a nuisance to communities and has been shown to pose a considerable health risk."