A shopkeeper who became the first in Scotland to be convicted for selling so-called legal highs was locked up yesterday.
Liston Pacitti was caught with five different types of new psychoactive substances at his Odyssey tobacco store at Aberdeen’s indoor market.
He was charged with breaching product safety regulations after he failed to produce necessary documents to trading standards officers in 2014.
The shopkeeper was fined a total of £1,800 when he appeared at the city sheriff court.
Now Pacitti faces a lengthy jail term after admitting supplying the substances to customers.
The 28-year-old, of Deveron Road, Aberdeen and his co-accused Paul Brocklehurst, 62, of Glen Afron, Tregarth, Gwynedd, Wales, raked in thousands of pounds a week selling “highly addictive” so-called legal highs that left customers hospitalised and in danger of death.
A sheriff told the two men, who pleaded guilty to the same offence, that they face long jail terms – and may be sent to the High Court for sentences of at least five years to be imposed.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that two men who took a substance called Psyclone sold by Brocklehurst fell into comas with a Glasgow coma scale score of seven – indicating a severe injury.
Brocklehurst’s offences were committed between July 3, 2013 and July 29, 2015 at his shop, This ‘N That, in County Place, Perth.
Pacitti’s were committed between July 3, 2013 and December 7, 2014 at his stores, Declaration and Evape-O-Lution in Brothock Bridge, Arbroath, and The High Life and Evape-o-Lution in High Street, Montrose.
Solicitor Neil McRobert, for Pacitti, added: “He believed he was running a legal business at the time.”
Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until April 12 for social work background reports and remanded both men in custody meantime.
