A mother has been sentenced after trying to sneak drugs into a Welsh prison during a visit to her partner
St Helens: Shannon Smith, a 27-year-old from Brook Cottage Close, faced Mold Crown Court on January 22. She had pleaded guilty to smuggling prohibited items into prison.
The incident happened on April 4, 2023, when she visited HMP Berwyn to see her partner, Shaun Kearns. After a warm hug, she dropped something down his shirt.
Prison officers caught this on CCTV. When they searched Kearns, they found a package containing 12.9g of Ketamine and 76g of Spice, worth nearly £5,000 inside the prison.
Smith was detained right away, and her phone revealed she had planned this to pay off a debt. Her lawyer mentioned her mental health struggles and vulnerability to peer pressure.
Judge Niclas Parry pointed out that drugs ruin the purpose of prisons, leading to bullying and intimidation. Smith received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 20 days of rehabilitation.
