A chilli spray used to spice up meals put two people in hospital and forced the evacuation of the Wellgate Jobcentre, Dundee Sheriff Court has heard.
The bottle of Kiss the Devil was sprayed in a lift by Andrew Perrie.
The 32-year-old, of Happyhillock Walk, admitted on October 15 last year culpably and recklessly spraying a noxious substance, namely a chilli food additive, in a public lift.
His actions injured Stacey Jackson and Emma Drakely, who experienced eye irritation and difficulty in breathing, and caused Beverley Quigg and Ian McLeish and members of the public to take ill and seek emergency medical help.
The charge also stated that he caused the building to be evacuated and the emergency services to be deployed.
Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin told the court that on CCTV security cameras Perrie was seen to enter the lift and take out a canister about the same size as a police CS spray.
“He proceeded to spray it around the inside of a lift before quickly exiting. A number of pumps were applied by the accused. He then gets out of the lift, collects a form from the Jobcentre and leaves immediately,” Ms Gilmartin said.
A number of staff, along with other adults and children, then entered the area around the lift and the lift itself and became affected by what was at that time an unknown substance.
“One was coughing uncontrollably and her nose and eyes began streaming. She was helped to a window where she was sick. Another woman with a child and three other females began coughing and also had difficulty breathing.
“No-one knew what was going on so emergency services were contacted and an evacuation began,” the depute fiscal said.
Around 150 staff left the building while police, firefighters and ambulance crews arrived. An exclusion zone was set up around the building until the all-clear was given and in the meantime two people were taken to Ninewells Hospital for treatment.
Police later traced Perrie after watching the CCTV recording.
“He said he had found the spray on a bus and had initially sprayed it in his mouth and had then taken it to the Jobcentre so he could spray it in the lift to smell it.
“The spray was called Kiss the Devil and is intended to spice up food,” said Miss Gilmartin.
The court heard that Perrie had first appeared in court in connection with the offence on October 16 and had been remanded until October 23 when he was released on bail.
Defence solicitor Brian Cooney said he would reserve his plea in mitigation until sentencing.
Sheriff Hughes deferred sentence until August 12 and told Perrie: “These are obviously very serious offences.”