Man jailed for peddling Viagra
Eventually Michael Beckett confessed to purchasing the drugs from the Internet and said he planned to sell them to customers personally.
He had already attracted some buyers, the court heard.
Police estimated the haul to be worth up to £22,000 but the court heard the defendant claimed he had paid no more than £2,500 and hoped to double his money.
The drug must have a European licence and those in the defendant’s possession did not, the judge was told.
Beckett, 24, of New Rough Hey, Ingol, Preston, admitted four charges relating to the Viagra tablets and proposing to sell them without proper authorisation.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of 24 Ecstasy tablets found on him at the same time and separate offences of possession of heroin and crack cocaine, criminal damage and threatening behaviour.
Beckett was also in breach of a suspended sentence and admitted a Bail Act offence.
He was jailed for a total of 85 weeks, which included 10 weeks for the Viagra offences.
On his behalf, Daniel King said Beckett simply did not know he was committing an offence regarding the Viagra.
He knew a local pub which sold similar matter through vending machines but he now realised that was properly regulated.
Sentencing Beckett, Judge Robert Brown said he accepted the defendant was in ignorance of the need for a licence for the Viagra.
However, the judge said he had decided the series of offences must result in an immediate prison term.
Research suggests worldwide, there have been at least 120 deaths linked to use of Viagra.
It also has side effects including facial flushing, headaches, stomach pain, nasal congestion, nausea, and diarrohea.
Det Insp Marc Nasser, of South Ribble CID, said: “Whilst it’s understandable there is a market for this type of pill it still poses a threat in the community in terms of drug use and its unlawful sale. Some of these pills sometimes contain other malicious substances.”
Jim Potts of Lancashire Trading Standards said he supported police action against dealers like Beckett.
He added: “Only one firm makes Viagra in the UK and it is a prescription drug.
“As with all prescription drugs we would warn people, to buy them from official sources, not the man down the pub or over the Internet. People shouldn’t just dabble with it because there are health risks.
“In some cases we have found pills that people purport to be Viagra to be a vitamin pill dyed blue.
“There have been only two reports of counterfeit Viagra in Lancashire in the last four years but, because of the nature of the product, we think many people won’t come forward. They just put it down to experience.”
