Woman who smuggled drugs into HMP Humber for inmate boyfriend is spared jail

A woman who smuggled drugs into prison for her inmate boyfriend has narrowly avoided being jailed herself.Kirsty Wright was told her actions could have created "power imbalances" inside HMP Humber, at Brough near Hull.

Hull Crown Court heard the 31-year-old took 16 Subutex tablets, used to help prevent withdrawal symptoms from drugs such as heroin, into the prison for a prisoner she was visiting.

Wright was in a relationship with the man at the time and had been persuaded to attempt to smuggle in the tablets for him. The relationship has since come to an end.The prisoner was not prosecuted for his role in the offence and was dealt with through disciplinary action by the prison.

"He was removed from the prison where he was at and his privileges were withdrawn," said Neil Coxon, prosecuting,

The court was told that a difficult job for prison staff was made harder by Wright's actions.

Wright admitted an offence of smuggling an item into HMP Humber on 19 August last year.

There were three layers of packaging on the tablets and Wright's fingerprints were found on the second layer, suggesting that she had not merely been handed the finished packet.

Wright, who had no previous convictions, told the court: "I'm sorry."Judge Mark Bury told Wright: "I just wanted to tell you how serious your behaviour was.

"We can't have people taking things into prison like this."The prisons and prison staff have a hard enough task looking after the inmates without things being taken in, which could upset the routine and create power imbalances in prison."

Wright, of Beachdale Close, Wingate, County Durham, was given a three-month suspended prison sentence and 15 days' rehabilitation.

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