Five festivalgoers land in court over drugs, laughing gas use
The tourists were all attending the Higher Love Festival
Five English men who came to Malta to attend a music festival landed in court facing charges of drug possession, trafficking and using laughing gas.
Four of the accused - Joel Anthony Dutton, 25, Connor Kenneth Loftus, 22, Joshua Edward Pollard, 22, and Jack James Farrell, 22 - admitted to trafficking, selling and being in possession of cocaine and ketamine, and to disobeying and obstructing police orders.
A fifth man, 24-year-old Connor James Barlow, denied the charges brought against him, including that he was in possession of around 11 grams of cocaine.
Passersby reported seeing the young men sitting on a wall in Triq Dawret il-Ġżejjer in St Paul’s Bay, using laughing gas. The men were all wearing the access bracelet for Higher Love Festival which was held at Café del Mar from April 30 to May 4.
St Paul's Bay residents took to Facebook to share photos of used laughing gas canisters dumped on the streets around the festival venue.
Last month laughing gas was officially banned for recreational use, with offenders liable to criminal proceedings. Laughing gas is only allowed for industrial, medicinal, pharmaceutical or catering use.
It cannot be used for any other use, including for direct inhalation or through a balloon or other device.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, fined the accused amounts ranging between €55 and €271, and ordered the confiscation of all the drugs and cylinders.
Regarding Barlow, the defence stated that it would not be requesting bail.
The prosecution was led by Inspector Bradley Grima together with lawyer Nadia Ciappara on behalf of the Attorney General. The accused were assisted by lawyers Alexia Vassallo and Silvan Pulis.