Northampton teenager who slipped MDMA tab in stranger's pint scolded for 'thoughtless, dangerous joke'

A Northampton teenager was caught slipping a Class-A drug in a stranger's drink on a dare has been scolded in court for the "thoughtless, dangerous" prank.

Jiovanni Prati, of Alderley Close, was spotted by bar staff at the Cordwainer Pub in Northampton dropping something in a 50-year-old's man pint of cider after being told "go on - do it" by a friend.

When staff confronted the then-18-year-old and grabbed the drink, they spotted a purple tablet dissolving in the glass.

Police later ruled the pill had been half a tab of Class-A ecstasy.

"It was a thoughtless and dangerous joke," said His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo at his sentencing at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (January 19).

"At it's highest, there was was potential for serious harm.

The court heard how in the incident in August 2019 Prati did not know his 50-year-old victim and was seen making friendly conversation with him at the bar.

But soon after, a member of staff overheard the 18-year-old and a friend mocking the man to themselves, before the friend nudged Prati and said: "Go on - do it".

The member of staff seized the pint of cider before the victim could drink it and threw Prati out the pub.

He was later picked up by police, who searched him and found the other half of the MDMA tablet. He was also charged with three further counts of possession after polices searched his home and found small amounts of diazepam, cocaine and LSD.

In court, the 19-year-old's defense barrister Mr Haggart said the offence was "wholly out of character".

He told the judge: "My client says he regularly beats himself up about it. He deeply regrets bringing shame on his family."

Judge Mayo said: "My judgement is that had you successfully enabled your victim to drink that cider last year the sentence would have been 22 months after trial.

"In my judgement, this is a case where it would be quite proper for me to suspend your sentence because of your acknowledgement that what you did was extremely stupid."

Prati was handed a 13 month sentence suspended for 18 months.