Kim Kerwin, a 66-year-old pensioner from Walton, hid thousands of pounds worth of drugs in her underwear in a failed attempt to smuggle them into HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire. She embraced an inmate and slipped a parcel into his pocket, but prison guards spotted the ploy on CCTV.
Details of the Smuggling Attempt
On December 18, 2023, Kerwin visited HMP Oakwood to see prisoner Scott McLoughlin. CCTV footage showed her reaching into her knickers, extracting a package, and tucking it into her sleeve. She then entered the visitor lounge, hugged McLoughlin, and handed over the goods. Staff monitoring cameras alerted guards, who retrieved a cling film-wrapped parcel from McLoughlin's 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 told officers McLoughlin was her step-son and claimed she was unaware of the contents, insisting she was "forced to bring it in" due to threats.
Threats and Background
After her arrest, Kerwin told police a man had threatened her via text: "If you don't do it, then there's going to be murder." She has no previous convictions. Her defence counsel, Bernice Campbell, stated: "She had a difficult upbringing. Her life has been riddled with heroin and addiction. She lost her partner, and she has lost herself. She is riddled with anxiety, depression and stress. She was used by others to take these drugs into prison. It was a pretty naïve attempt. She was not involved in packing the drugs. She did what she was told. She is terrified of going to prison. She needs help. Her life is spiralling down."
Court Sentence
Kerwin pleaded guilty to three counts of conveying a prohibited article into a prison on the day of her scheduled trial. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey Moschino hoodie, she received an 18-month imprisonment suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement. Judge Louise Brandon warned: "You are going to be very closely monitored. 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."
