Restaurant worker caught handing drugs to prison inmate after being spotted on CCTV

Faye Bainbridge put pills under the sheet of paper that was on the table during a visit at HMP Northumberland and pushed them towards the prisoner.

Newcastle Crown Court heard before the inmate could pick them up, the illegal exchange was spotted by staff monitoring the CCTV.

The restaurant worker claimed she had been put under pressure to take the drugs to the jail in Acklington, Northumberland, on July 20 last year.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court: "Her actions are caught on CCTV, which shows her and the prisoner sitting at a table.

"Between them, there is a sheet of paper which warns visitors what they can and can't do.

"The defendant is seen to look around, take something from her pocket and place it under that piece of paper.

"Her actions are seen by prison staff monitoring the CCTV.

"She then moved the piece of paper towards the prisoner but before he could take possession of it, prison staff intervened."

The package was found to contain four and three-quarter buprenorphine tablets, which is a heroin substitute.

Mr Wardlaw said: "The value of drugs in prison is considerably more than it is in the outside world and your honour is well aware of the of the impact and effect drugs in prison can have."

Bainbridge, 36, of Marigold Crescent, Houghton, pleaded guilty to conveying a banned item into prison and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 40 hours unpaid work.

Judge Julie Clemitson said Bainbridge had been "pressured, persuaded or cajoled" into doing it but warned her: "You should understand, conveying prohibited articles into prison will nearly always be met with an immediate custodial sentence because of the effect taking items into prison causes for the safety of inmates and staff and the management issues it causes because of the currency they represent once they are in there."

The judge said she had read a number of "very impressive references" about Bainbridge's work ethic and caring nature.

Richard Herrmann, defending, said: "Some significant pressure had been put on her but it didn't amount to duress, in law.

"It was a minute amount of drugs.

"She works in the restaurant business and has caring responsibilities for her elderly parents."

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