A gym-going dad was found with muscle-building steroids and “party drugs” after leading police on a dangerous car chase around Canterbury city centre.

Nathan Towner, 33, was over the legal alcohol limit when he was seen driving recklessly in Longport and Lower Chantry Lane.

The plasterer “panicked when he saw the blue lights” in his rear-view mirror and tried to evade officers in his Vauxhall Vivaro before parking the vehicle and running off.

Margate magistrates were told on Thursday that officers then went to Towner’s home in Ivy Lane, where they discovered a safe containing a variety of illegal dugs, including cocaine and ecstasy.

“Towner was found in the bedroom and arrested,” said prosecutor Terry Knox.

“A search was carried out at his address and, in a small safe, drugs were found, identified as cocaine, psilocin (magic mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy), clenbuterol (a decongestant), oxandrolone (anabolic steroid) and THC (cannabis).

“The alcohol concentration in his breath was found to be 50 micrograms in 100ml of breath.”

The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Speaking in Towner’s defence, Ian Bond said his client’s poor behaviour on June 20 last year was because “his personal life had gone to hell in a handbasket”.

Following the breakdown of his marriage in 2019, Towner began using drugs and drinking too much, explained Mr Bond.

He was also “humiliated” after being placed on the sex offenders’ list for five years due to an “exposure matter”.

“The dangerous driving was aggravated by the alcohol in his system and he panicked when he saw the blue lights,” said the defence lawyer.

“Some of the drugs found in his flat were party drugs; his explanation for having them was ‘me and my mates go to festivals and these are drugs that would sometimes be used’.

“The other drugs found were steroids, but he says he never used them.”

Mr Bond appealed to chair of the bench, Jennifer Lennard, not to send his client to prison, instead recommending a rehabilitation activity requirement for him to focus on his emotional wellbeing and relapse prevention.

Towner pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without insurance and five charges of possessing illegal drugs.

After a lengthy period of consideration, magistrates handed down a 50-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

“You’ve been offered a chance here, I hope you manage to sort yourself out,” said Ms Lennard.

Towner was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay a total of £312, including a £40 fine.