NEWLYWED Steven Stroud bought hard drugs on the internet so he could experiment at home while his wife was at work.

He imported hundreds of pounds-worth of cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines to be sent to him at his Moredon home.

And when police raided the 26-year-old’s house they found jars of drugs as well as hundreds of pounds in cash.

But after hearing the shift worker was just trying the substances out of curiosity and boredom as his then fiancée worked nights, a judge spared him jail.

Lucy Stoker, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how last summer postal workers intercepted a package addressed to Stroud at his home address.

In the parcel she said police found 7.13g of cocaine, 9.92g of ecstasy and 10g of methamphetamine.

As a consequence she said police were called in and when they raided his home they found more of all three drugs as well as some cannabis.

The substances were stored in glass jars, the court was told, along with £410 in used banknotes.

Stroud, of Church Walk South, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on importing drugs, and four of ordinary possession.

Probation officer Michelle James said he had no previous convictions, got married last month and both he and his wife worked full time.

She said he told her he worked shifts for a big manufacturing company in Swindon and during that time heard colleagues talking about drugs.

When they spoke of feelings of euphoria he became curious and went on the internet to carry out searches for the drugs, she said.

After researching the substances and the effects they had, he ordered some online, she said, but they were intercepted by the authorities.

She said he had the other drugs at home, which he had experimented with, and had kept them in jars as his wife was unaware of what he was up to.

When she was out working nights Miss James said he was home alone and would take the substances to see how he felt.

“He describes it as quite a sad situation: someone sitting at home alone experimenting with drugs,” she said.

She added that his wife was now starting a new job during the day and he was also looking for a nine to five position, as they also hoped to start a family.

Lyall Thomson, defending, said the offending was committed out of curiosity and the money found was nothing to do with the drugs.

He said the experience of being arrested and brought before the court had been a salutary lesson for him.

Passing sentence Recorder Jane Rowley imposed an eight-month jail term suspended for a year with 100 hours of unpaid work and told him to pay £340 costs.