A MAN has been sentenced for his “cack-handed and amateurish” attempts to create ‘legal highs’ from prescription drugs.

Philip Knowles, who was living at the same address in Sherwood Avenue, Abingdon, as Asbo lout Anthony Begley (see separate story) was caught with 13.4g of white powder when police came to the house on an unrelated matter.

When the powder was analysed it was found to contain a mixture of substances such as paracetemol, caffeine and analgesics including tramadol.

Prosecutor Hilary Neville, who said it was “a very odd case”, said: “He tried them on himself to see which combination worked and the combination that worked he sold for £10 to £25 a bag.”

The 47-year-old, who has previous convictions for ABH and criminal damage, admitted possession of medicinal products without a marketing authorisation and assembling a medicinal product without authority.

Judge Julian Hall gave him 60 hours’ unpaid work and said: “This was a very cack-handed, amateurish, way of trying to give your friends and fellow drug users to a completely unusual and cheaper high than might be got anywhere else.”