Prisoner hid drugs in bottom after female visitor smuggled them into jail and passed them during 'embrace'

Abbey McCaffrey was captured on CCTV passing something to a prisoner during an embrace in the visiting area at HMP Northumberland in February 2020.

Newcastle Crown Court heard an officer who was supervising the area spotted what had happened and the inmate was taken away and searched.

Prosecutor Matthew Collins told the court a "large object, wrapped in clingfilm was removed from the inmate's anus".

The court heard the package contained 1.3g of cocaine, 69 steroid tablets, 70ml of testosterone, 1.75g of pain killers and 2.41g of diazepam.

"The meeting was captured on CCTV within the visitors area, which showed the defendant passing something to him,” Mr Collins told the court.

"There is no evidence she knows him outside of this transaction.

"The CCTV shows her pass something to him during an embrace with him."

Mr Collins said the inmate then appears to put the package into his trousers.

Mr Collins added: "While in the street this may be a relatively low-value package, inside prison it is increased to a range between £1,075 and £1,225."

The court heard McCaffrey confessed she had agreed to take the parcel into prison in exchange for £250

Mr Collins said: "She admitted it immediately.

"She said she barely knew the prisoner but an important feature is she had been paid £250 to undertake the task."

The court heard when McCaffrey's phone was examined messages showed an attempt for her to pass the package during a visit the previous week had been aborted as she feared she was being watched by the staff.

A victim statement from the security governor at the prison said drugs in jail have a corrosive affect on prison life and put staff and inmates at risk.

McCaffrey, 23, c/o Kelly Road, Hebburn, who has never been in trouble before and is in employment, admitted conveying banned articles into prison.

Mr Recorder Keir Monteith told her the offence was "extremely serious" but accepted she was "vulnerable from an emotional and financial point of view" at the time and is now remorseful.

The judge sentenced McCaffrey to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and 40 hours unpaid work.Jamie Adams, defending, said 'bedroom tax' had caused McCaffrey to fall £1,800 into debt and the offence was committed in a bid to help her repay it.Mr Adams said McCaffrey, who hopes to go to college and change her life for the better, did not know what was in the parcel.

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