Woman caught on cctv spiking a stranger's drink with poppers spared jail

PAIGE MYERS, 21, WAS GIVEN A SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT IN A PRUDHOE BAR 00:53, 30 May 2025Updated 06:51, 30 May 2025 A woman who admitted poisoning a pub-goer by spiking her

drink with poppers has avoided jail. Paige Myers, 21, admitted administering a poison, namely amyl nitrite, known as poppers, to the victim, on the basis the woman did not drink it.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim was in a pub in Prudhoe on April 20 last year when the incident happened. The victim went to the toilet and returned but when she returned believed her

drink smelled funny, became dizzy and spaced out, the court was told. Myers was captured on CCTV pouring a substance into the victim's drink. Rachel Butt, prosecuting, said: "At

10.30pm [the victim] went to the bathroom and left her drink on the table where the defendant, who she did not know, was sitting. CCTV captured the defendant removing an object from her left

pocket, later discovered to be liquid gold poppers, and pouring it into [the victim's] drink on the table in front of her before returning the drink to its normal position. "[The

victim] returned to the table and picked up her drink. She smelt the drink and described it as having a strange smell, causing her to feel dizzy, spaced out and her head to be pounding. She

then began to panic." WE HAVE A DEDICATED NEWSLETTER FOR COURT NEWS AND UPDATES. IT’S FREE AND YOU CAN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT HERE. IT WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST COURT

CASES AND SENTENCE UPDATES FROM AROUND THE NORTH EAST. Ms Butt told the court the defendant was identified by the landlady on CCTV and was contacted by the victim via Facebook. The victim

attempted to call the defendant but she did not answer, Ms Butt said. The following day she contacted her again and it was agreed the defendant's family would pay her money, Ms Butt

said. The money would go to charity and the victim said she would take no further action, the court was told. The defendant met with the victim and gave her in the region of £500, Ms Butt

said, but the money was later returned to the defendant. Ms Butt said: "There were multiple messages over the following day which resulted in [the victim] reporting the incident to the

police on April 22. Police attended [the victim's] address and seized the drink as she had taken it from the public house." Ms Butt said the drink was analysed and poppers were

detected. The defendant was interviewed by police and accepted she poured a "small amount of liquid gold poppers" into the drink in what was supposed to be a "joke" and

believed the drink belonged to a friend, Ms Butt said. Recorder Makepeace said the defendant had shown remorse and described her actions as "seriously reckless". He added:

"You were and remain utterly ignorant to how a substance might have affected your intended recipient." He added: "It was a very, very serious and reckless act. It was a wildly

reckless thing to do. No less reckless than throwing a bottle up in the air and taking a chance as to where it might land." Recorder Peter Makepeace said he was satisfied the defendant

took responsibility, was genuinely remorseful and made no effort to blame anyone else. He added: "I take comfort from that fact and believe it was genuine." Article continues

below Myers, of Priestclose Road, in Prudhoe, Northumberland, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. She was ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days, 120 days

alcohol abstinence requirement and must complete 118 hours of unpaid work.