HMP Berwyn attempted drug smugglers dealt with in court
Karen Harrison, of Kirkby Park in Kirkby, and Perry Ellison, of Kelso Road in Fairfield, Liverpool, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, April 29.
Harrison, 63, and Ellison, 37, both previously pleaded guilty to one count each of bringing/conveying a prohibited article into prison.
Simon Mintz, prosecuting, told the court that the offence dates back to July 2023, when both defendants attended HMP Berwyn in Wrexham to visit a prisoner there.
The pair had become 'separated' during the admission process and Harrison was searched first.
She was found to have a packaged hidden beneath her waistband which she claimed was 'tobacco' which the inmate she intended to visit 'needed to smoke after and operation'.
Officers then traced Ellison to the visiting room, where he was removed and searched.
When a package was removed from his groin area, he told them 'it's only weed'.
The searches revealed that Harrison had attempted to bring in 42g of cannabis resin into the prison. This would have been worth between £840 and £2,100 inside jail, the court head.
Ellison had attempted to smuggle in 14.1g of cocaine, said to be worth between £2,800 and £5,600 within the prison walls.
IN OTHER CRIME NEWS
Both defendants gave no comment interviews, the prosecution said.
Ellison had 40 previous convictions for 66 offences, including assault and burglary, while Harrison had no previous convictions.
Owen Carville, defending Ellison, said that he was someone who suffers from Schizophrenia.
He argued that, although he has a 'long list of offences', none of those have included the offence of conveying drugs into prison.
Jeremy Rawson, defending Harrison, said that she was a woman with no previous convictions and therefore had a 'reasonable prospect of rehabilitation'.
He added she concedes that she 'made a stupid decision'.
Sentencing the pair, Judge Timothy Petts said: "Bringing drugs into prison is strictly prohibited, it undermines discipline in the prison as it leads to debt and extortion."
Harrison was sentenced to a six-month term, suspended for 12 months. She will need to complete 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and will be subject to a three month curfew (between the hours of 8pm and 6am).
Meanwhile, Ellison was jailed for three years for his role in the offending.
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