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A prison catering supervisor was blackmailed into smuggling heroin into Stafford jail when her illicit relationship with an inmate was threatened with exposure, a court was told.
Linda Powell, 50, of Heronswood, Baswich, was jailed for six years after she pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply drugs at Stafford Crown Court. She was stopped and searched on October 23, 2006, when a sniffer dog showed an interest in the bag she was carrying. Heroin and cannabis with an estimated value of £21,000 was found inside a coffee jar.
The court was told that rumours about Powell’s relationship with an inmate were circulating in the prison. She said she took the drugs into the jail because she had received a letter threatening exposure.
Simon Drew, for the defence, said that Powell was full of remorse and shame for “this single incident”.
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Independant police or army should check prisons & clear them out of drugs, as sweep & screen officers.
Working in a related area, drug additions & supply are rife in prison, they are the currency, the power, the status within the prison, for employees as well as inmates.
Nothing has or is changing, until a definative view is made & independant monitoring is enacted upon.
Mark Roberts, London, UK
For "this single incident" read FOR THE ONLY TIME SHE GOT CAUGHT.
She bought drugs, not a small amount, 21,000 pounds worth. I don't know where to buy drugs and I would suspect most 'law abiding' people don't either so she was obviously not as innocent as she claims. And where did she get the money?
GJB, Slough, Berkshire
The prisons are awash with drugs, Most of them brought in by prison officers, Start catching them and giving them all 6 years inside and you might start getting on top of the problem.
paul, london,
You forget to mention that she was in tears!
She is a girl, so she will get away with it.
That's feminist equality for you.
Chris, Wokingham, England