Jail for unlicensed supply of supplements to weight lifters

A Dublin man supplying nutrition supplements to the weight lifting community has been jailed for 21 months for possession of muscle bulking and fat burning drugs without a licence.

Robert Wynne (37), who had a legitimate nutrition supplements business, bought the illegally held substances in Northern Ireland and then supplied them to friends and acquittances.

Wynne, of Poppintree Terrace, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to possession of medicinal products, namely Metogen, TrenaGen, Clenbuterol and Enegen, without a prescription in a branded van at his home and two business premises at Bruteforce Nutrition, Gateway Crescent, Ballymun and Greencastle Parade, Coolock on October 5, 2018.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Wynne has previous convictions for assault and endangerment, receiving suspended sentences for both of those offences.

Judge Martin Nolan said these were serious enough crimes. He said the reason the drugs were prescription only was because they were dangerous and can have dangerous side effects if not administered properly and under supervision.

He said Wynne did not have the qualifications or training to give such advice.

Judge Nolan noted that in the past Wynne has been given “two good chances” by the court system and said he was not getting a third chance.

“He has been well warned in what can happen in relation to misbehaviour,” said Judge Nolan.

He said Wynne was deeply involved in this enterprise and profiting from it. He imposed a 21 month sentence and ordered the forfeiture of €20,000 in cash found during a search of his home.

Garda Keith Morris told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that gardaí and a regulatory authority official went to Wynnes’s home with a search warrant and were invited in by the accused. Gardai recovered very small amounts of cocaine and zopiclone, a type of sleeping tablet, in the house.

Wynne accepted these were his and said he had forgotten about them. A locked cash box containing €20,000 was found in the hot press.

The search also included a branded van which was parked outside. Gardai recovered a mix of steroids in tablet and liquid form, valued at about €10,000.

Further searches were conducted of business premises where Wynne operated or had a unit where he sold supplements.

Garda recovered a total of €15,710 of muscle bulking and fat burning drugs across all locations.

Gda Morris said Wynne was not regulated as an authorised person to have or prescribe the drugs.

The court heard Wynne had a legitimate business supplying supplements for the weight lifting community, but there was an “illicit add on” where he supplied these steroids for some profit.

Wynne told gardaí he had got the substances in Northern Ireland and they were used by him and his friends for bulking up muscle or stripping fat.

Gda Morris agreed with Seamus Clarke SC, defending, that Wynne had a lot of friends in body building and he was supplying to friends and acquittances.

Mr Clarke submitted Wynne has cooperated a great deal with gardaí and that his previous convictions had occurred some time ago.

He said Wynne had handled the case in an appropriate manner.

He handed in a letter of apology from his client, whom he said was a part of the body building community, and said he should never have got involved in this offending.

Mr Clarke asked Judge Nolan to allow him to stay with his family and, as the main breadwinner, to support them into the future.