A member of the UK Pyrotechnics Society was found with a huge illegal amount of a chemical used for explosives.
Thomas Sleight, 65, was caught storing 800kg of barium nitrate at a farm in Kirton Lindsey, North Lincolnshire, where he sold some of it to people in the UK and Europe.
The maximum amount that can be stored legally is 5kg.
A court heard the landowner was unaware what was being kept at the lock-up on the site.
Investigators ruled out any terrorist link to Sleight’s criminal activities.
Sleight, of Johnson’s Lane, Crowle, admitted three offences of supplying a regulated substance to somebody without checking who they were between 2015 and 2020.
He was handed a suspended 12 month jail term at Grimsby Crown Court under The Poisons Act 1972.
Prosecuting, Michael Masson told how another substance he sold, without checking the licence of the buyer, was potassium perchlorate.
Both are used in the manufacture of fireworks. But they are regulated due to the potential for use in making explosives.
Mr Masson said the criminal activities of the specialist chemical supplier came to light during an investigation in Aberdeen where a man was charged with terrorism-related offences, due to the possession of explosive substances.
He was later cleared at The High Court in Edinburgh. The Police Scotland investigation revealed the supplier of the chemicals was Sleight.
His home was raided on August 11, 2020 and a large quantity of paperwork and some devices were seized and examined.
Sleight volunteered information to police that he was storing barium nitrate at a lock up at Kirton Lindsey. He said he had bought it in bulk from a supplier because of his interest in pyrotechnics.
Mr Masson said due to the volatility and the vast quantity of barium nitrate, a specialist operation was required to remove it.
He said the maximum allowed to be stored is 5kg and can only be used by people who are licensed. Sleight’s licence had been revoked, although he had been selling the chemical for around a decade, legally.
The prosecutor said the chemicals are regulated and only licence holders can handle them because of the potential for them to be mixed with other chemicals to create explosives.
Mr Masson said: ‘Possession alone can be considered a terrorist offence. But the investigators were satisfied there was no malicious intent and that it was for the use in fireworks, because of his interest in pyrotechnics.’
He said the chemicals were used in fireworks and flares and in making ceramics.
‘It can be used to make explosives when mixed with other chemicals. There are regulations for good reason and he had no knowledge of what they were going to be used for nor to whom they were being sold,’ said Mr Masson.
For Sleight, Harry Bradford said his client was remorseful for the offences and had volunteered information to police.
‘He took his interest (in fireworks) very seriously,’ he said.
Judge Richard Woolfall said the defendant had not checked whether the buyers of his chemicals were ‘fit and proper people’ and he was disguising the nature of the chemicals in packaging.
He said he had failed to keep proper records of who it was supplied to.
‘You were motivated financially, rather than politically or any other motive,’ said the judge.
He added: ‘You are a member of the UK Pyrotechnics Society. This is from where your business arose, rather than anything malicious.’
He sentenced Slight to 46 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months.
He ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay £300 costs.