A ROBBER has been handed more time behind bars after he was caught with drugs in his cell at Dartmoor Prison.

Cody Ware, serving a five-year term for a string of knifepoint raids, had the former legal high ‘Spice’ and an anabolic steroid, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Prison bosses told the court that drugs caused disruption, debt and bullying behind bars.

Judge Paul Darlow handed the 26-year-old a 28-month prison sentence — consecutive to his current term.

Ware was due for release in May but faces another 14 months behind bars after that, assuming he is released at the usual half way point.

Judge Darlow said: ‘In any sentence this court passes, there is going to have to be a deterrent element designed to tell other people that if they have any drugs in prison, they must expect the courts to take that very seriously.’

Ware pleaded guilty to possession of a psychoactive substance and possession of a Class C drug in prison on August 11 last year.

He was handed a five-year term in January 2015 for two offences of robbery and one of attempted robbery, with seven similar offences taken into account.

Ware acted as a getaway driver to knife-weilding co-defendant Matthew West, who was bizarrely disguised in a leopard skin onesie in some of the robberies.

The pair raided two newsagents and a petrol station.

Jason Beal, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that a small amount of anabolic steroids and the former legal high Spice were found in his cell.

He summarised a statement from HMP Dartmoor senior managers, which said that the use of drugs had serious consequences in the jail.

Mr Philips told the court that inmates got into debt with one another after deals. He added that drug use could lead to mental health problems and self-harm.

The court heard that prisoners used drugs to bully more vulnerable inmates.

Mr Beal said that Ware had a long record of drug use and dishonesty.

Michael Green, for Ware, added that his drugs use had caused his offending and he had tried to tackle his habit behind bars. But Mr Green said that constant moves between jails had frustrated his efforts. He added Ware had a place at a hostel in Cornwall available on his release.

Mr Green said: ‘I accept that drugs cause problems in prison but they cannot be laid at his cell door. He had a small amount of drugs and he was not dealing.’