An Illawarra gym junkie busted selling illegal steroids to a police mole has taken to social media to express his relief after a magistrate spared him jail time.
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Brandon Hunter, who describes himself as a former competitive body builder and gym enthusiast on his Instagram account, posted a 12-minute monologue on the social media platform last week, just a day after facing sentencing in Wollongong Local Court on multiple drug dealing charges.
Hunter was nabbed selling a total of 100 grams of testosterone to the police informant on four separate occasions in November and December last year, resulting in police raiding his Albion Park home in January this year, where further steroids were uncovered.
During a sentencing hearing in court last week, Magistrate Susan McGowan spared Hunter time behind bars, instead allowing him to serve his 18-month prison term in the community by way of an intensive corrections order.
Hunter did not refer directly to the court case or his charges in his Instagram video, but told his followers he'd had a "pretty important week".
He went on to say he was glad that chapter in his life was over.
"[The] weight on my shoulders has just been lifted," the 34-year-old said.
"It still hasn't sunk in what's happened... I can't really go into too much details (sic) about it...but it was a win."
He then gave the camera the thumbs up sign with both hands, before saying he was now looking to the future.
"That chapter is closed and it's onwards and upwards from here," he said.
A set of agreed police facts tendered to the court during Hunter's sentencing proceedings said detectives set up Strike Force Atria in July 2019 to investigate anabolic steroid supply in the region.
The police witness began speaking with Hunter via text messages in November, initially telling him "just been training hard using sups and eating right but need some more help putting more muscle on. I was looking for Test E to start with but what do you reckon?"
Hunter asked the man if he'd done a "cycle" before, meaning a course of steroids, however the witness told him it would be his first time.
Hunter then recommended the man begin using a combination of "Test E" and "Deca", telling him the vials cost $90 each and two doses would last him a "a good 8-10 weeks, depending on how much you pump".
The man agreed to buy both and drove to Hunter's home on November 19 to pick up the vials.
A further exchange took place a week later after the man told Hunter a friend wanted in on the action too.
Hunter contacted the witness in early December saying he had the Deca in stock but would need payment upfront to order more Test E from overseas.
The man agreed to buy two vials of Deca and pay for three vials of Test E in advance. He and Hunter met on December 4 and the man paid Hunter $500 in total, picking up the testosterone two weeks later.
Meanwhile, police raided Hunter's home in January, seizing a vial of liquid testosterone, three testosterone tablets and four mobile phones.
When interviewed by police, Hunter said he'd purchased the steroids online using cryptocurrency or cardless cash and had paid about $75-$120 for a 200ml vial.
He claimed the drugs were for personal use and that he used steroids for the "physical and mental aspect" and for competition purposes.
"Just cycling on and off at the moment and then when I decide to come off it, I take my post cycle therapy to bring my hormones, my testosterone levels back to a normal level," he told detectives.
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