Stephanie Thomas was caught trying to smuggle drugs into HMP Parc in Bridgend by concealing them in her underwear. The 38-year-old was arrested on August 21 last year after attempting to bring £5,000 worth of substances into the prison during a visit.
Discovery and arrest
Prison staff detained Thomas in the visitor search area, and she was also identified by a sniffer dog. Her sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday heard that she told an officer she was visiting an inmate and admitted concealing objects on her person.
Prosecutor Lucia Cavaliere said Thomas produced a package from her "genital area." The defendant claimed she had a "financial incentive" to bring the package in and was aware of its contents. She also said she was "pressured" into smuggling it and had "flake" in her handbag for her "own personal use."
Contents of the package
When officers examined the bag, they found a crack pipe and a mobile phone. The package contained 2.37g of cocaine (prison value £400–£1,500), 37.1g of female flowering head cannabis (prison value £1,480–£3,700), and 50 buprenorphine tablets (prison value £80–£600).
In custody, Thomas told officers: "I shouldn't have done it." She initially claimed to have been pressured but later repeated this statement.
Sentence
Thomas, of Lan y Parc, Nelson, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A, B and C drugs. The court heard she was of previous good character.
Judge Eugene Egan indicated he would not send her immediately to prison, telling her: "You know how dangerous drugs are when they cross the custody threshold. Life has not always been easy for you and I accept that."
Thomas was sentenced to 26 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months. She was also ordered to complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £200.
