Sammi Obaid was acquitted by a jury of selling anabolic steroids as Ecstasy pills.
Sammi Obaid, a 25-year old man from Cumbria, was on trial at Carlisle Crown Court after a security guard accused him of trying to sell anabolic steroids and passing them off as Ecstasy (MDMA) pills. But the jury did not believe the security guard and acquitted Obaid of the criminal charges.
Joseph Dowsett, a security staff member at the 2017 Kendal Calling Music Festival, testified that Obaid offered to sell him 4 Ecstasy pills for “30 quid”.
However, Obaid did not have any Ecstasy. He only had 213 blue heart-shaped Dianabol tablets. Prosecutor Julian Goode alleged that Obaid was trying to pass of the Dianabol as Ecstasy.
Obaid took the stand and vehemently denied Dowsett’s accusations. When his defense attorney asked him about Dowsett’s testimony that he was a drug dealer, Obaid rejected the allegations that he offered drugs for sale as entirely false.
“Absolutely not, and I want to make that crystal clear,” Obaid said. “Not at all. Not at any point was a sale ever hinted at, at all.”
Sammi Obaid was on a 10-week steroid cycle utilizinng Dianabol.
Obaid told the jury that steroids were perfectly legal to possess for personal use. And Obaid had no worries about bringing the steroids into the music festival. In fact, the steroids were in a labeled container and examined by a police officer upon entering the music festival. The officer told him that he was “good to go”.
Obaid testified that he was on a 10-week cycle of Dianabol and taking 10 pills per day in divided in divided dosages. He only brought the Dianabol to the music festival so that he could continue his dosing schedule.
Obaid admitted discussing steroids with Dowsett. But Obaid only discussed his steroid cycle with Dowsett after the security staff member displayed a keen interest in sports and physical fitness.
During the trial, it emerged that Dowsett was some kind of anti-drug or anti-steroid crusader. Dowsett feigned interest and “played along” with Obaid just long enough so he could turn him over to Cumbria Police. And since steroid possession was not illegal, Dowsett told police that Obaid was trying to sell steroids.
The jury was left with the choice of believing Obaid’s testimony or Dowsett’s testimony in a “he said/she said” case.
The jury acquittal suggested that the jurors did not really trust Dowsett. They didn’t find Dowsett’s testimony plausible. And perhaps the jurors were suspicious of Dowsett’s motivation due to his ardent anti-drug stance.