Man remanded over contaminated drug packs

A man was remanded in custody today accused of contaminating packs of the painkiller Nurofen Plus with anti-psychotic and anti-epileptic drugs.

Christopher McGuire, 30, of no fixed address, appeared in a brief hearing at West London Magistrates' Court.

He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

McGuire is charged with four counts of contamination of goods, and two counts of administering a noxious substance.

The maximum sentence if convicted is 10 years in jail.

He was remanded by District Judge John Zani to appear at Southwark Crown Court on December 2 for a plea and case management hearing.

Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of the drug, recalled the product on August 26 and halted distribution after discovering five boxes contained other companies' medicines.

It estimated that some 250,000 packets were still in customers' hands.

Four of the boxes were found to contain the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL 50mg and one packet contained Pfizer's anti-epileptic medication Neurontin, in 100mg capsules.

The charges against McGuire state that between June 1 and August 26 this year he contaminated packets of Nurofen Plus at three branches of Boots the chemist at London's Victoria railway station, in Beckenham High Street, Beckenham, in the Glades in Bromley, and at the Beckenham Independent Pharmacy in Beckenham.

He is accused of administering a noxious substance, Seroquel on August 22 this year.