A young man today admitted supplying revellers at a party in a posh housing estate with ecstasy pills that made them ill.
Kyle Stenhouse, 21, dished out the drug to pals while socialising over the Christmas holidays at the property in Westhill in Aberdeenshire.
But the men all became unwell shortly after taking tablets known as MasterCards and were taken to hospital in the early hours of December 28 last year.
Paramedics arrived to find they had suffered a bad reaction to the pills which are sold on the streets as super strength ecstasy tablets.
Stenhouse pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend said the friends had been drinking and socialising together at the property on Westhill Crescent before the incident happened at about 3am.
He said: “They continued to drink alcohol within the locus and at that time the accused produced a bag of red MasterCard tablets.
“The accused offered these tablets to the witnesses all of whom took them along with him.”
The court heard that Stenhouse and his friends began to feel unwell and light-headed shortly after taking the tablets in the plush suburb on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
Although one of his friends, Lloyd Shand, suffered the worst reaction and it soon became clear that he needed hospital treatment.
Mr Townsend said: “Lloyd Shand appeared to take a seizure and started foaming at the mouth.
“Realising that something was wrong with him, an ambulance was contacted.”
Paramedics were called out at 3:50am and told that a male had suffered a reaction to a tablet.
They arrived to find Mr Shand was making unusual noises and holding his chest. He had a heart rate of 180 beats per minute and was believed to have taken a stimulant.
Mr Townsend said: “On arrival it became apparent that further witnesses at the address were all suffering the effects of taking an unknown substance.
“Further ambulances were requested along with the police.
“They all displayed similar problems and required to be taken to hospital by ambulance.”
When police arrived at the property, they noticed that Stenhouse was being sick in the back garden.
He left the house and officers found him at home at 18 Leslie Crescent in Westhill a short time later. Although he refused to go to hospital and remained under the care of his mother.
Sheriff Christine McCrossan deferred sentence for background reports and told the young man that his solicitor had no doubt explained the full sentencing options available to her.
She told him she had heard a “disturbing” account of what had happened as a result of his actions and deferred sentence until next month.