A WOMAN who bought 480 canisters of laughing gas on eBay to give out at a party has been sentenced to a two-year community order.

Donna Calder was convicted by a jury after a trial at Bradford Crown Court of being in possession of nitrous oxide which she intended to supply for its consumption for its psychoactive effects.

She pleaded guilty to possession of a PAVA spray that belonged to a police officer searching her then home in Walden Drive, Heaton, Bradford, on the day the laughing gas was seized.

Calder, 43, of Whitby Road, Girlington, Bradford, committed the offences more than two years ago, the court was told.

Prosecutor, John Hobley, said police officers received intelligence about drugs being present at her shared accommodation and searched the address on September 2, 2019.

They found 480 canisters of nitrous oxide in cardboard boxes.

Calder said she had bought it online on eBay to give out free of charge at a party.

A second search of the premises was conducted on December 4, 2019, when the police officer’s PAVA spray was found in her bedroom drawer.

She said she had found it in her car but Mr Hobley said the spray was that which was accidentally dropped from his uniform by the officer searching the address.

Peter Byrne, Calder’s barrister, said in mitigation that she was a woman of otherwise good character with childcare commitments.

She wasn’t part of a drugs chain or operation.

She bought the nitrous oxide to give out free at a party.

Recorder David Kelly said she must be shocked or at the very least surprised to find herself at the crown court.

She had a significant quantity of nitrous oxide in her possession that she intended to supply for recreational purposes and not for profit.

Recorder Kelly said Calder had been “very foolish” and had then taken the matter to trial.

But he told her he did not expect to see her back before a court.

He imposed a two-year community order with 200 hours of unpaid work.

She must attend 15 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service to help her to think more carefully in the future.

No separate penalty was imposed for possession of the PAVA spray.