Woman smuggled cannabis in bra during Leeds prison visit

Stacey Howard, 30, was arrested during the visit to her boyfriend at HMP Wealstun after staff became suspicious on September 6 last year.

Leeds Crown Court heard Howard was stopped and asked if she was in possession of any illegal items.

The mum-of-three initially denied that she had but was then told she would be strip searched.

Louise Pryke, prosecuting, said Howard then told the officers that she was in possession of the class B drug before removing a 13-gram package from her bra.

Howard was interviewed and told police she had committed the offence after someone had visited her home and threatened her.

She said she was told her partner would be “slashed” if she did not take the drug into the jail.

Howard, of Heath Mount, Beeston, was given a two month prison sentence after pleading guilty to conveying a list A article into prison.

Sara Lyle, mitigating, said Howard had pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage and had no previous convictions.

Miss Lyle said Howard was suffering from depression following the breakdown of the relationship with a previous partner.

She added: “This has been an absolutely enormous lesson to her.”

Jailing Howard, judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, said: “What you should have done was to go to the police and tell them what had happened so they could deal with it.

“People have to understand that if you take drugs in to prison intending to hand them over, there has to be an immediate custodial sentence.”