Swimmer Scott Miller offered reprieve

FOR more than a year, former Olympian Scott Miller has lived with the fear that his fall from grace could lead to a jail cell.

Olympian Scott Miller leaves the NSW District Court after he was sentenced to 100 hours community work. Picture: Jeff Herbert

FOR more than a year, former Olympian Scott Miller has lived with the fear that his fall from grace could lead to a jail cell.

But the longest 15 months of his life ended with relief as he was spared a custodial term for supplying ecstasy and receiving stolen goods - a pill press.

"(I'm) very, very relieved. It's been a long year and a half in and out of court," he said.

"It's been very hard. I'm just glad it's over."

Miller pleaded guilty to five charges including giving his mate Mark Catchpole 12 ecstasy tablets as a birthday present and possessing a stolen pill press.

He escaped a prison sentence yesterday when NSW District Court Judge Greg Woods ordered he complete 100 hours of community work instead.

The dual Olympic medallist was also convicted and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.

Miller, 34, looked relieved as he embraced supporters outside court - but knows he still has plenty of hard work ahead

The task of rebuilding his life is only just beginning.

"I might do a bit of swimming," he said, wryly.

The fallen swim star joined the Australian Institute of Sport in 1991 and went on to win silver and bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Judge Woods said an injury after Atlanta had slowly "strangled" Miller's sports career over the decade that followed, causing the onset of chronic depression.

He became a binge drinker and turned to cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy to relieve him of the psychological pain of a shattered career, the judge said.

"I accept his explanation that prior to 2004 he did not use drugs or alcohol. He has become humiliated about what has occurred and re-evaluated his life."

Miller, who the court heard is now drug-free, told his hearing last month he began taking illicit drugs and partying to "numb the pain of being finished".

He and Mark Catchpole, the son of rugby union legend Ken Catchpole, were arrested in April 2008 after police raided a storage unit in Sydney's north.

Police seized a stolen pill press and a pill counter, but it was found there was no evidence the press had ever been used by Miller.

Officers also raided his flat in Sydney's Dee Why and found pepper spray, steroids and Stilnox, obtained without prescription.

Police investigating Miller, as part of a group on Sydney's northern beaches, intercepted mobile phone calls between the swimmer and a man on January 12, 2008.

Catchpole was sentenced to at least five months weekend detention for weapons charges arising from the same investigation.