A FORMER Warrington Wolves player has been given a suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of possessing almost £1,500 worth of cocaine.

Dale Laughton, who was a prop forward, had been charged with supplying cocaine at a village music festival in Barnsley last year after police found 32 grammes of the class A drug with a street value of £1,463 hidden in his sister's car.

The 39-year-old had also breached a suspended prison term imposed for assaulting a woman in a pub.

But Laughton avoided jail today after the judge took pity when he revealed he had turned to drugs when he was forced to end his rugby league career because of injury while at Warrington, describing it as being ‘just like somebody cut my legs off’.

The dad-of-three also revealed his marriage had broken down, he had lost his home and had been left almost penniless because of drugs and alcohol on which he spent £1,000 a week.

Judge Paul Reid took pity on Laughton at Sheffield Crown Court describing it as ‘a sad story’ and jailed him for four months, suspended for a year.

He was also made the subject of a 12-month supervision order, told to attend a drug rehabilitation course, do 80 hours of unpaid community work and pay £375 costs.

Laughton, who now works for a security firm, was cleared of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star afterwards he said: “I'm delighted with the outcome. Sending me to prison would not have helped.

“It was a phase I went through and fortunately I came out of it fit and healthy.

“My new girlfriend is standing by me and without her help I would now be six foot under. I couldn't have done it without her and intend to stay clean.”