A 50-year-old mother who attempted to smuggle drugs into a prison concealed in her bra has been jailed. Rachael Talbot, of Quarry Green in Kirkby, Merseyside, was sentenced to four months at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after admitting three counts of conveying a prohibited article into a prison and possession of cocaine.
Smuggling attempt foiled
Talbot arrived at HMP Liverpool on March 21 last year to visit a prisoner identified only as "Carlos". During a search before entry, prison officers found "something hard" in her bra. She was escorted to a private room, where she removed several cling film-wrapped packages and handed them to an officer.
The packages contained 50g of ketamine, 120g of cannabis resin, and 50g of cannabis leaf. The drugs had an estimated street value of over £2,000.
Threats and coercion
In a basis of plea, Talbot said she had agreed to smuggle the drugs in exchange for £200 but had tried to back out. She then received calls from an unknown number warning that her "windows would be put through and her children would get it".
Her defence counsel, Sarah Griffin, told the court that Talbot had stayed out of trouble since the incident, was assessed as a low risk of reoffending, and was the sole carer for her three 17-year-old children, who have complex needs. She also noted Talbot had physical conditions and was willing to do unpaid work.
Judge's remarks
Judge Simon Medland KC said: "It gives me absolutely no pleasure to do so, but the fact of the matter is that drugs in prison are of catastrophic value. Prisons are a pressure vessel environment and to put drugs into them causes untold problems, strengthens the internal criminal dynamic and prevents people being rehabilitated."
As she was led from the dock, Talbot asked, "Am I going to jail?" before waving to a woman in the public gallery and being heard sobbing as she was taken to the cells.
