A CIVIL engineer has avoided jail after he admitted taking steroids into a prison. 

Kyle Neil Cooper, of Aitken Street in Accrington, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday for sentence.

The 34-year-old had previously admitted conveying a prohibited item into HMP Berwyn in Wrexham on October 26, 2019.

Mark Connor, prosecuting, told the court on the day in question Cooper had been bringing a parcel of steroid tablets to an inmate.

Prison officers became suspicious when he was at the visitor centre entrance but wouldn’t disclose which prisoner he intended to visit.

Officers saw him pass on an item to inmate Saqib Khan, 35.

Khan was later searched and found to be in possession of the film-wrapped package, which contained just under 200 tablets.

Cooper was arrested and the tablets were forensically analysed.

Their value in the prison setting was assessed as around £480.

Mr Connor told the court Khan received a five month custodial sentence for his part in the offence.

Andrew Green, defending, said: “He himself describes the stupidity of his actions - he said it was a massive mistake.”

Judge Parry handed Cooper a five month custodial sentence, but suspended it for two years.

He ordered Cooper to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work.