Sheffield Crown Court: Addict who smuggled drugs into a Doncaster prison is spared from jail sentence

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 18 how Gaynor Thomas, aged 56, was spotted by prison officers at HMP Moorland, on Bawtry Rd, Hatfield Woodhouse, Hatfield, Doncaster, handing drugs to an inmate during a visit.

Stuart Bell, prosecuting, said officers became suspicious of the defendant’s nervous behaviour and after they saw something being passed to the inmate he was approached and he handed over the cocaine and ecstasy.

Mr Bell added texts between Thomas and another person revealed a discussion about how to hide the drugs and payment.

Judge Sarah Wright told Thomas: “You visited a co-accused in prison on December 14, 2019, and gave them drugs including class A drugs, and messages show an agreement to bring drugs into prison and you requested payment to do so."

Thomas, of Crossland Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull, who has 17 convictions for 33 offences, pleaded guilty to conveying a prohibited article into prison. She also admitted failing to surrender to court during a previous hearing.

Thomas told police she had been asked to smuggle the drugs into prison after her niece had been threatened by drug-dealers.

Defence barrister Katy Rafter said: “She was heavily addicted to class A drugs and was desperate to fund her habit and that is why she became involved in the offence when she was asked to.”

Ms Rafter added Thomas has been remanded in custody since July and her brother’s funeral is due on August 22, and her ill mother is receiving end-of-life care.

Thomas’s time on remand has helped her sort her life out, according to Ms Rafter, and she is on a methadone prescription to fight her addiction and hopes to get treatment to stop the effects of drug-taking.

Judge Wright told Thomas: "Those who take drugs into prison must expect prison sentences themselves. Drugs in prison cause untold problems for the prison authorities.”

However, Judge Wright sentenced Thomas to 12 months of custody suspended for 18 months with a rehabilitation requirement after she recognised the defendant’s motivation to turn her life around and address her addiction.

The court also heard the inmate who had been given the drugs received a suspended prison sentence.