A mother-of-two has been jailed after she tried to smuggle drugs into a South Yorkshire prison

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 1 how Rebecca Meggitt, aged 27, was caught with cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis as she was visiting a prisoner at HMP Lindholme at Hatfield Woodhouse.

Judge Rachael Harrison told Meggitt: "Drugs in prison undermine the prison and create issues for staff and personnel."

Laura Marshall, prosecuting, said Meggitt had been visiting a prisoner when she was stopped and asked if she was carrying prohibited items and she said she would not carry out her visit but she was still searched.

The officer recovered a cling film package, according to Ms Marshall, concealed in the groin area of Meggitt's jeans during the incident in February last year.

Ms Marshall said drugs smuggled into prison carry a higher street value, and that the cocaine was valued at £5,200, the cannabis was valued at £1,600 and the ecstasy or MDMA was valued at between £2,430 and £13,500.

Meggitt's home was searched, according to Ms Marshall, and two lots of class B drugs were found and one lot of a class C drug, all consistent with personal use.

The defendant, of Eastoft Road, Luddington, Scunthorpe, told police she thought she was taking in tobacco and she had been pressured to take items into the prison after a man had brought them to her home.

She added she believed the drugs found at her home belonged to a drug addict linked to an ex-partner.

Meggitt, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempting to convey a prohibited item, namely drugs, into prison and to three counts of possessing drugs.

Andrew Swaby, defending, said Meggitt, who has two children, has been involved in abusive relationships and she had been pressured into smuggling the drugs by a serving prisoner.

Judge Harrison told Meggitt offenders target mothers to smuggle items into prison because it is believed they will be treated leniently but if that was the case there would be a flow of people taking the same risk.

She sentenced Meggitt to six months of custody.

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