Sunderland man caught with laughing gas in Foxcover Lane

A user of illegal laughing gas had the smile wiped from his face when police nabbed him with canisters and drugs in Sunderland, a court was told.

Liam Stokes, 24, was found in the presence of two other men in a car in Foxcover Lane, Middle Herrington, in the dead of night.

Canisters of nitrous oxide – otherwise known as laughing gas - were discovered in the vehicle, prosecutor Paul Anderson said.

And when frisked, Stokes, of Stratford Crescent, Middlesbrough, produced two bags of prohibited depression treatment drug ketamine from his underwear.

Stokes coughed to his crimes in a prepared statement given to officers after his arrest on Friday, December 1, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

At court, he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of controlled class B drug ketamine and possession of class C nitrous oxide.

Mr Anderson added: “The police came across a car parked in Foxcover Lane. It was 4.30 in the morning.

“They were interested in what was going on. There were three males, and the defendant was in the driver’s seat.

“Police report that he looked under the influence of drugs. They carried out a search of the vehicle and found a number of cannisters.

“Two bags of a white powder were found in the defendant’s underwear. He accepted both were for personal use.

“In a prepared statement, he said, ‘I admit possession of drugs for my own personal use. I do use nitrous oxide. I was using nitrous oxide this morning.

“A canister lasts about 20 minutes. The two wraps of ketamine are for personal use’.

“There is something of a record related to drug abuse in so far as there’s possession of drugs and driving with drugs over the specified limit.

“He’s got driving matters where he’s been driving with drugs in his system which has led to a substantial disqualification. His last conviction was in 2022.”

Jobless Stokes defended himself in court but when asked by magistrates if he had anything to say about his crimes, he replied only, “No.”

He was fined £128 and must pay £85 court costs and a £51 victim surcharge, with magistrates ordering the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and canisters.