AN ONLINE drug dealer who peddled steroids to fund his own cocaine habit has been spared jail.

Jason Le Guilcher set up a commercial business on the internet to sell the substances used by body builders which he had bought in bulk from abroad.

The 30-year-old dad tuned over tens of thousands of pounds, sending phials of drugs out in the Royal Mail using registered post.

And he got customers to make payments into a bank account using terms like 'wedding' or 'stag do' to cover up what the money was really for.

But when a bust up with his partner led to the police being called she told officers how he was earning his money.

Now after hearing the couple are back together and he was working to tackle his drugs problem a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court said Le Guilcher imported the steroids in bulk from China and Japan.

When they arrived at his village home he broke them up and sold them as smaller deals via a website he had set up.

The court heard that the first two pages were taken down by the online providers but he had continued operating through a third he had set up.

Mr Meeke said that an investigation into his finances found that £34,390 had passed through his account as a result of his drug dealing.

Le Guilcher, of Whittonditch Road, Ramsbury, pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing class C drugs with intent to supply

He also admitted simple possession of cocaine and money laundering with 27 offences taken into consideration.

Gareth James, defending, said that after university his client had got a job in an accountant's office hoping to progress in that career.

When they decided not to put him forward for his professional exams he said he left to try and turn his body building hobby into a business.

He said he set up a gym in a building where he was told there there would be no similar enterprises, only for two more to open there.

Mr James said Le Guilcher then moved on to using cocaine and debts led him to make money selling steroids to friends, developing the business from there.

While he accepted turning over £34,000 from the enterprise he insisted it was not all profit.

He said the father-of-two was now working for minimum wage in a warehouse and back living with his partner and children.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "The fact that since these matters came to light you have quite obviously felt remorse for what you did and taken steps to put your life back in to order."

He imposed a 16-month jail term suspended for 18 months with 250 hours of unpaid work.