A steroid dealing bodybuilder from Risca has been handed the UK’s first lifetime sports ban.
Philip Tinklin, 43, is banned for life after being charged with three anti-doping rule violations following a police investigation into the trafficking of anabolic steroids.
His daughter Sophie, an amateur boxer, has been banned for four years after being charged with the same offences.
The Independent National Anti-Doping Panel found both to be in breach of anti-doping rules by possessing one or more prohibited substances, trafficking or attempting to traffick prohibited substances and assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting or covering up an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted anti-doping rule violation.
Tinklin is well-known in amateur boxing in South Wales. Earlier this year hepleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to one count of supplying anabolic steroids, which he admitted exchanging for other banned substances.
The Panel found that Philip Tinklin’s involvement in the sport of boxing amounted to transporting his own and other children to Welsh Amateur Boxing Association (WABA) events and competitions and as a result, he is bound by the anti-doping rules.
Announcing the ban on August 4, UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Andy Parkinson said: “This is another landmark case for UK Anti-Doping – a first lifetime ban for a support person and a significant illustration of the value of our ongoing collaboration with the law enforcement community.
“In 2009, UKAD set out to be an intelligence-led anti-doping organisation. Today shows how far we have come in achieving that aim and underlines the direction the anti-doping community is moving in. I would like to thank Gwent Police for their crucial role in this case and again underline the vital work of law enforcement in the fight against doping.
“Anyone involved in the trafficking of performance enhancing substances has no place in sport.”
Sophie Tinklin appealed the Panel’s first decision and an Appeal Panel confirmed the four-year ban.
She is banned from February 19, 2014 to February 18, 2018.
Detective Constable Mick Lumsden from Gwent Police added: “Gwent Police investigates all reports of drug supply. Steroid supply has enormous financial gain whilst affecting the health of others and we are happy to share information with partners such as UKAD to ensure the practice is disrupted.”