Mark Sitton Kent, a 57-year-old divorced father-of-two, has been sentenced for his involvement in the dangerous practice of chemsex, which involves sexual activity under the influence of drugs. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Sitton Kent, a former Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, bought and sold illegal substances, including methamphetamine and GHB, to men he met on the dating app Grindr.

Over a four-year period, Sitton Kent was found to have offered to administer controlled drugs to others and even requested that others inject him. The court was informed that he purchased these drugs in wholesale amounts, indicating a significant level of involvement in the drug trade associated with chemsex.

Judge James Sampson, who presided over the case, stated, "For some years, you have been involved in something known as ‘Chemsex’ and you offered to supply drugs for these purposes to others and engaged in the activity. Be under no illusions, these drugs kill. They have been implicated in the deaths of gay men up and down the country. They are dangerous, and by peddling these dangerous substances for your own gratification, you have risked the lives of others."

Sitton Kent had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the sale of methamphetamine and GHB between 2019 and 2023. He was arrested on October 12, 2023, at an address in Newark, where officers discovered a capsule of methamphetamine in a brown bag.

Prosecutor Devni Kitulagoda detailed that messages found on Sitton Kent's mobile phone suggested he was purchasing larger quantities of drugs associated with chemsex. He had expressed intentions to buy 50g of methamphetamine and about 1 litre of GHB, which could yield between 400 to 1000 doses.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Digby Johnson explained that Sitton Kent came out as gay in his 50s after being married and had retired from his respected position at the Environment Agency due to circulating rumours about his personal life.

Following his conviction, Sitton Kent received a two-year jail term, which has been suspended for 21 months, allowing him to avoid immediate imprisonment while still facing the consequences of his actions.