A Chinese herbal medicines practitioner yesterday pleaded guilty to the unauthorised selling of a cream containing a steroid which the court was told could thin the skin to the extent the veins beneath became visible.
The Dublin District Court was told the cream, if misused, could thin the skin in a manner analogous to "wetting a paper bag".
The cream was used by people hoping to clear up skin conditions, such as psoriasis, and was often bought by mothers for use on their babies, the court heard.
Mr Wanh Men Leong, known as Mr David Leong, from the Chinese Natural Herbal Centre in Aungier Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to three charges involving the sale of a product containing a steroid without authorisation. He was fined €500. The case was taken by the Irish Medicines Board.
Mr Leong, who represented himself in court, pleaded guilty and asked to be allowed address the court before sentencing.
Mr Hugo Bonar, an enforcement officer with the Irish Medicines Board, told Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick that the cream, 999 Piyan Ping, contained a corticosteroid, dexmethasone, which is controlled because it is dangerous and needs to be administered under the guidance of a registered practitioner.
Mr Bonar said that if misused the cream could weaken the skin to the extent that the veins beneath became visible. He said he had seen the effects of misuse and it was "like wetting a brown paper bag".
The sale of the cream by Mr Leong was without any control and the cream was often bought by mothers for their babies, Mr Bonar said. In August 2000, Mr Leong had been found selling the product.
He had been co-operative and had surrendered 336 tubes of the cream in his possession. At the time the tubes had a total value of €3,360. Since that date Mr Leong had concentrated on functioning as a traditional Chinese herbalist.
Mr Leong, in the witness box, said he wanted to apologise to the court and the Medicines Board for "causing all this hassle". He said that in 2000 "every Chinese supermarket and herbalist all over Europe, including Dublin, carried this cream".
He said that since the board's inspector had come to his shop and told him not to sell the product, he had not sold it. "I believe I broke the law but it was unintentional," he said.
Mr Leong said that "even now the cream can be got all over Europe, even in Dublin". He told Judge Fitzpatrick he was "begging for forgiveness and hoping the court will take a lenient view". He had not intentionally set out to hurt his customers or his own reputation. The court was told the substance had been controlled since at least 1996. The maximum fine was €1,900.
Judge Fitzpatrick, delivering sentence, said he was taking into consideration the fact that Mr Leong had co-operated with the Medicines Board, had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty. He said Mr Leong may not have realised he was breaking the law because of the way the cream was sold in other jurisdictions.
