A BODYBUILDER who sold illegal steroids to other musclemen to fund his cocaine habit has been spared jail – if he mends his ways.

Martin Horner, of Mainstone Avenue, Prince Rock, was given an eight-month suspended jail term when he appeared at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Miranda Robertshaw told him: "You have not got off scot-free. You are still under a suspension of a prison sentence."

Judge Robertshaw ordered Horner to complete 80 hours unpaid work in the community, undergo six months supervision by the probation service, and take part in a drug rehabilitation programme to prove to her that he had stopped using drugs.

She said that any breach of these terms, or any further offences, would almost certainly lead to the sentence being activated and Horner going to jail.

Horner, aged 40, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a Class A drug, possessing a Class C drug, two counts of possessing a Class B drug and one count of supplying a Class C drug – the steroids.

At a previous hearing, the court was told that when police raided Horner's home on April 29 last year they found an assortment of drugs and drug equipment.

The haul included tablets, liquids, a cannabis grinder, a cup and scales both with traces of cocaine, and a quantity of cash.

Horner, aged 40, reportedly told officers: "There's some cocaine in that cup I had last night and some weed on the floor."

Police discovered 0.25g of cocaine worth around £10, small quantities of herbal cannabis and cannabis resin and three Temazepam tablets.

They also found 25 oxymethalone steroid tablets; Horner told them he had bought 100 tablets illegally and sold them for £1 each.

Horner said he attended a gym and that sales of steroids to others paid for his cocaine habit.

The court also heard that Horner, who had a number of previous convictions but none for drugs offences, had given up cocaine once before after voluntarily completing a 12-week course at the Harbour Centre.