Jail for Prison Drug Smuggler

28 February 2011, 13:18 | Updated: 8 March 2011, 11:16

A baby was used as a decoy to smuggle £1,000 worth heroin and cannabis to a prisoner who was serving a sentence for drug dealing in Wellingborough jail.

Athena Williams, 28, slipped a parcel into her brother Dale Francis' pants under the cover of the baby's blanket.

Williams, of Heath Town, Wolverhampton, was with two other women in the visiting area of the prison at 10 am on January 17 last year when she raised the suspicions of guards watching the CCTV system.

Prosecutor Alex Bull told Northampton crown court on Friday that the baby's blanket was on Williams' knee as she removed an item from her pocket. Holding the baby as cover, she slipped the package into Francis' underpants.

The 23 year old, who was inside for drug dealing, was searched and 7.3 grams of heroin and 5.2 grams of cannabis were found. That amount was worth £1,000 in prison prices, said Ms Bull.

Francis, from Stoke-on-Trent, admitted possessing Class A and Class B drugs. He was remanded in custody for reports. He had already been released from his previous sentence.

Williams pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and cannabis with intent to supply. She also appeared in court for sentence having been convicted in Stoke-on-Trent for supplying cocaine and cannabis.

The prosecutor said she had been seen handing over £20 worth of cocaine in the car park of the Dimensions Sports Complex on May 23 2009.

Judge Ian Alexander QC jailed Williams for a total of four years and four months. He told her: "You committed an extremely serious offence while on bail. I understand the pulls of a sibling relationship but that's not enough to excuse what you did."