Kim Kerwin, a 66-year-old woman from Walton, Liverpool, avoided immediate imprisonment after smuggling drugs worth up to £7,450 into HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire. The drugs were concealed in her underwear during a prison visit on December 18, 2023.
How the smuggling unfolded
CCTV footage showed Kerwin reaching into her underwear to retrieve a package, which she then placed into her sleeve. She entered the visitor lounge, hugged inmate Scott McLoughlin, and passed him the contraband. Prison staff monitoring the cameras alerted guards, who detained McLoughlin and recovered a cling film-wrapped parcel from his jacket pocket.
The package contained 11.74g of cocaine, 6.86g of ketamine, and 2g of cannabis, with a combined street value of up to £7,450. Kerwin initially claimed McLoughlin was her step-son and said she was unaware of the package's contents, stating she was 'forced to bring it in'.
Threats and background
After her arrest, Kerwin told police she had received a text message from a man warning: 'If you don't do it, then there's going to be murder.' She has no previous convictions. Her defence barrister, Bernice Campbell, described her as a vulnerable addict: 'Her life has been riddled with heroin and addiction. She lost her partner, and she has lost herself. She was used by others to take these drugs into prison. It was a pretty naïve attempt.'
Sentencing and judge's warning
Kerwin admitted three counts of conveying a prohibited article into a prison on the day of her trial. At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Louise Brandon handed her an 18-month sentence suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
Judge Brandon stated: 'Offences of taking drugs into prison require deterrent sentences. Anyone who conveys illicit drugs into prison should expect an immediate custodial sentence. There may be exceptional circumstances that mean a court could suspend a sentence.' She added: 'If you breach the order, you will be back before me. I am telling you now that you will go into custody. See it as an opportunity and take advantage of those services.'
The judge acknowledged Kerwin's vulnerability, addiction, and the two-and-a-half-year delay since the offence, during which she had not reoffended. However, she noted that about a year of the delay was due to Kerwin's initial not guilty plea.
