Bodybuilders in the United States are often envious of the steroid laws in the United Kingdom where bodybuilders are permitted to import and possess anabolic steroids for personal use. It is steroid possession with the intent to distribute that, similar to U.S. steroid law, carries severe penalties. Still, U.K. bodybuilders using steroids for their own personal development face risks under certain circumstances.
Martin Fannan and Martin Flett were arrested after participating in a bulk steroid order which was shared by several bodybuilders in the gym. There was no apparent profit motive as the competitive bodybuilders were simply seeking to take advantage of a bulk discount.
As a result the prosecution and court acted reasonably by recognizing that this was not a real steroid dealing case. However, prosecutors were compelled to pursue the case anyway since one of the bodybuilders involved was a police officer charged with conspiracy to supply steroids (but exonerated in a jury trial).
Mr Menary said the men would buy and sell the drugs with just a small circle of like-minded friends.
He told the court: “The offers to supply were on a bulk basis, effectively they were trying to save on packaging costs by ordering on behalf of each other and supplying each other with items they had no longer any use for.
“The Crown accepts this was not a profit-making operation, it was at cost basis.”
Stephen Constanine, defending Fannan, said the case against Fannan and Flett would have been unlikely to get to court had Sergeant Towers not been involved.
Mr Constantine said: “But for the involvement of a police officer, at best they would have been cautioned.”
The bodybuilders pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply anabolic steroids, a Class C drug and were only sentenced to “conditional discharge for two years with £200 costs each.” While the sentence was relatively light, the negative publicity brought unwanted attention to their public lives where they worked as a doorman and teacher/ rugby coach, respectively.
Even U.K. bodybuilders using steroids for their own personal use still need to be careful.
About Millard Baker