Man faces possible jail for making drug

Stephen Andrew Allen, who lives and works at the Red House pub restaurant, told police he took it because it “opened his third eye,” Newbury magistrates heard on Thursday, May 23.
DMT is an extremely powerful, short-acting psychedelic which produces an intense hallucinogenic ‘trip’ lasting around 20 minutes.
Parveen Rashid, prosecuting, said: “Police searched his room at the pub and found 16 bags of a crystalline substance and a notebook with a hand-written recipe ingredients list.
“Mr Allen told police he got it off the internet and said he took the drug because it opened his third eye and gave him a good, hallucinogenic high.”
She added: “He said he takes it to raves, where it is used because it enhances the music. He said he didn’t realise it was illegal and gave some to friends.”
The 22-year-old admitted two offences - one of producing the Class A drug and one of possessing DMT with intent to supply, both committed at Marsh Benham between February 1 and March 27 this year.
Mr Allen has previous convictions for offences including non-dwelling burglary and criminal damage, the court heard.
Stephen Collins, defending, said: “If he had kept ‘schtum’ he would only be facing a charge of producing the drug but he admitted he had given some to friends the night before. He did not know it was illegal and the information he used was freely available on the internet.
“No doubt the court will give him an enormous amount of credit for his co-operation and for his early guilty pleas.”
Mr Collins asked for pre-sentence reports to be prepared on his client.
But presiding magistrate Michael Jackson told Mr Allen: “We’re not happy dealing with this case. We’re sending it to the Crown court for sentencing because we feel these matters are so serious that you need a greater punishment than we can impose.”
Mr Allen was committed, on unconditional bail, to Reading Crown Court for sentencing on June 28.