A FORMER police officer from Swansea has been sent to prison after admitting being involved in a conspiracy to supply anabolic steroids in the city.

Justin Weaver also pleaded guilty to other serious conspiracy charges involving misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Weaver, aged 28, of Heol Nant Bran, Birchgrove, was an officer with the Metropolitan Police when he was arrested last year.

He was yesterday jailed for 16 months after a judge heard how illegal drugs worth thousands of pounds were seized in a series of dawn raids in Swansea at three houses and a city centre shop.

Also sentenced at Swansea Crown Court were four male co-defendants and Weaver's former girlfriend, Amanda Griffin.

Alan Dutton, Andrew Surman, Leighton Hackles and John Griffiths all admitted offences involving steroids, while Griffin pleaded guilty to misusing her civilian post at Swansea Central Police Station to access the force's intelligence system.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, told the court that anabolic steroids were controlled drugs widely used in the world of body-building.

"They can lead to serious health problems, some of which are irreversible," said the barrister.

The court heard that on February 23 last year police raided the TBS Nutrition shop in Oxford Street, Swansea, that was owned by Griffiths and managed by Surman.

They also searched houses in Birchgrove, Pontarddulais and Townhill — and the raids led to the seizure of steroids worth more than £6,500.

Surman pleaded guilty to supplying steroids between August of 2008 and February last year, while Griffiths admitted "turning a blind eye" and allowing his shop to be used for this activity.

Former ambulanceman Dutton similarly pleaded guilty to supplying steroids, while Hackles — like Weaver — admitted conspiring to supply the Class C substances. Mr Davis said that at the time of the conspiracy Weaver's former girlfriend, Griffin, was employed as a civilian call handler at Swansea Central police station.

At Weaver's request, she unlawfully accessed the force's intelligence system to see if there were any suspicions about what he was up to.

During yesterday's hearing Griffin also admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice with Weaver following an incident on the Heads of the Valleys Road in 2007.

The court heard Weaver committed a speeding offence while driving Griffin's Renault.

At the time he already had penalty points on his licence — so to mislead investigators Griffin provided false information when she was contacted by the safety camera unit.

Weaver's barrister, Jonathan Rees, in mitigation, said of the former police officer: "He has let down himself, his family and the police service." The court heard that Weaver had become "psychologically addicted" to steroids after he got a job at the age of 19 at a gym where the use of such drugs was regarded as acceptable.

Judge Peter Heywood, sentencing, said one of the dangers of steroids was that people pumped themselves up on them and became hyperactive — and this could lead to an escalation of violence in public places.

Dutton, aged 37, of Brecon Road, Pontardawe, was given an immediate jail sentence of 10 months, while the four other defendants all received custodial sentences that were suspended.

Griffiths, aged 51, of Neath Road, Swansea, got 26 weeks, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to carry out 150 hours' unpaid community work.

Surman, aged 32, of Heol y Gors, Townhill, Swansea, got 32 weeks, suspended for 18 months, with an unpaid work order of 180 hours.

Hackles, aged 32, of Meadow Rise, Townhill, was told to carry out 200 hours' unpaid work and given a 40-week jail term that was suspended for 18 months.

Griffin, aged 29, of Bethesda Court, Prince of Wales Road, Swansea, was given a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with an unpaid work order of 120 hours.