Drug smuggler put behind bars

A woman who tried to smuggle heroin into Dovegate Prison for her boyfriend has ended up behind bars herself.

Staff at the prison searched Nicola Edwards during a visit to her boyfriend earlier this year.

They found a package containing 35 grams of heroin inside her body during the search on May 27.

Stafford Crown Court heard the heroin had a street value of £350.

But the court heard that the value of the drug would rocket inside a prison. The 41-year-old told police she had tried to sneak the heroin into the prison because she feared her boyfriend.

Now Edwards, of Settle Road, Meir, has been jailed for 18 months after admitting possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Recorder Oscar del Fabbro told Edwards: "On a visit to Dovegate to see your partner, you were found in possession of 3.5 grams of heroin."

"The street value outside was £350, but inside prison substantially more."

"It was secreted internally and clearly intended to be supplied to an inmate in prison. In interview you said you did this for your partner, a serving prisoner. You said you felt obliged to do so because he had been violent and manipulative and you feared repercussions if you didn't."

"It's the same sad story of women being put upon to bring drugs in to prison, but the message has to go out that it won't be tolerated."

Andrew Bennett, mitigating, said: "My client was effectively walking in to a trap."