The Poppers in question were bought, not by me but by a 3rd party distributor, in the UK where they are fully legal and fully able to be sold over the counter in any shop/bar/club that would like to sell them. I was therefore told with some certainty that what I had stocked was in fact legal throughout the EU. I was not aware that the laws were so different in Spain and the UK. I was promptly arrested and held for 4 days and now, 4 years later I am finally being taken to court and charged with "Sale of a controlled substance".

The difference in laws between the two countries (i.e. my home of the UK and my place of work and arrest, Spain) is therefore vast. I understand that ignorance isn't a defence, but I'm not pleading innocent, merely guilty with extenuating circumstances owing to my lack of criminal intent or knowledge that I was doing anything illegal. I can't change the fact that what I did was in fact illegal, but hopefully I can show that its not common knowledge that the laws are so different within the EU. I hope that with the help of this petition, the court will see that I made a mistake through lack of knowledge, not through wishing to break the law and make money.

I hope that you can add your name to this as I need all the help I can get as the prosecution is asking for 6 months - 3 years imprisonment and €12,000 fine. If I can get it down to 2 years or under (through leniency because of believing my side of events) then it will be a suspended sentence as I have never committed a crime before, after all I am not really what you would describe as a "criminal" at all.

Please put your name, where you are from and if you can, your passport number or NIE number or National Insurance Number so that the courts can see that you are real. And please spread the word and ask your friends to help as well if they can. Thank you in advance for the help.