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Internet trader sold Viagra behind bars

Neal Keeling
30/ 5/2007

A SALESMAN jailed for illegally selling drugs, including Viagra, over the internet is still running his business from behind bars.

Martin Hickman was sentenced to three months and fined £20,000 for contempt of court earlier this month. He had failed to abide by a previous High Court injunction ordering him to stop selling Viagra.

Hickman, from Ashton, was the first retailer in Britain to be jailed after a civil action by the government body, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

But within days of him going to jail, his company's website was still selling the impotance drug Kamagra, a generic and cheaper version of Viagra.

Experts say that if the drugs are taken without an initial assessment by a GP, users run the risk of suffering serious side effects, including potentially fatal heart attack.

Hickman's website also offers a wide-range of 'erectile dysfunction' medication and boasts no prescription, consultation or administration charges.

A test purchase was made by the MHRA and Hickman was warned on several occasions he was breaking the law and that he should stop advertising certain medicines for sale. He was issued with a High Court injunction last September. Investigators believe Hickman had several websites, including one hosted in Germany. Hickman was jailed on 7 May and his company MSH Traders fined £20,000 after he was found to be in contempt of court for failing to observe the High Court injunction.


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Most recent 1 of 1 user comments

   I don't understand how prisioners have access to the w.w.w. itsa a joke, who knows what else they are master minding beind bars. I thought prison was a place where punishment was given, not just a "big hotel " with all the mod con's !!!!
hannah, ex-hyde
2/06/2007 at 02:18
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