"Menace drugs" - Prison visitor from Hebburn who smuggled drugs down his trousers escapes jail sentence

A prison visitor who smuggled drugs hidden down his trousers into a jail has kept his freedom.

Darren Robertshaw was caught when he dropped a blue package from his clothing onto the ground and kicked it towards an inmate he was visiting at HMP Northumberland last September.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the parcel contained 12.8g pregabalin, 18.2g buprenorphine and 195 zopiclone tablets, which are all Class C drugs.

Prosecutor Neil Jones told the court: "As the defendant was being escorted out he said 'I didn't know the lad I was seeing, someone put me up to it because I'm in debt'.

"He wouldn't tell the officer the name of the person who put him up to it or which vehicle he had travelled in."

Robertshaw, 55, of Victoria Street, Hebburn, South Tyneside, who has 71 previous convictions, admitted three charges of conveying prohibited articles into prison.

Robin Turton, defending, said Robertshaw has expressed regret and remorse and has no similar offending on his record.

Recorder Worsley told him: "You had three different types of Class C drugs wrapped in a package secreted inside your trousers.

"It is clear you looked around and then chose your moment, when a prison officer drank from a bottle of water and it seems you didn't think you were being observed, you took the item from your trousers and put it on the ground and pushed it with your foot."

The court heard Robertshaw had a £1,000 drugs debt and expected to be paid £500 for taking the items into prison.

The recorder said Robertshaw has been to jail before and told him: "You know the menace drugs are and the problems drugs cause in the prison estate."

Robertshaw was sentenced to a community order for three years with rehabilitation requirements.