London, Nov 3 (IANS) An Indian-origin man in Britain laced his wife’s food with steroids in a bid to transform her into a fat, stay-at-home mother, a court has heard.

Dalwara Singh slipped the drugs into his wife’s dinner, causing her to develop facial hair.

He was caught out when their teenage daughter heard him grinding something in the bedroom. His wife then discovered the drugs hidden in a locked cupboard and called in the police, The Sun reported.

The couple had been married for 17 years and have a son and a daughter — aged 15 and 16.

The prosecutor told the court that Singh gave his wife the drugs to keep her at home.

‘He wanted to stop her from going out for walks, because he wanted her to be at home to cook for him and look after the children. He said he didn’t consider the side effects and intended to stop,’ the court was told.

Singh admitted administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy at the Leicester Crown Court.

He narrowly escaped jail, and was instead handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also handed a restraining order banning any contact with his now-estranged wife other than through solicitors or social services.

‘You may have been doing it to make her give up her job, gain weight and stay indoors and make her want you and rely on you. It was a well-planned exercise and you say you gave her the steroids at least four or five times. It’s had a terrible effect on her, causing long-term emotional harm,’ the judge told Singh.