Sunderland fugitive hid drugs up his bottom before handing himself over to police

Paul Robinson was wanted by police for failing to answer bail and knew he would be remanded in custody when he surrendered to the station, in Southwick, Sunderland, last December.

In preparation for his incarceration, the 37-year-old packed .646g of cannabis, 55g of cannabis resin and two buprenorphine up in bottom.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Robinson's strange behaviour while he was being held in a cell at the police station alerted officers that something was going on.

Robinson confessed about the illegal stash, which he produced, and said he had been threatened to smuggle the haul with him into jail or face a beating.

He told officers he had been ordered to take the drugs in and that a £3,500 debt he had would be wiped out in exchange.

Robinson, of Saint Leonard Street, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to possessing all three drugs with intent to supply.

Judge Amanda Rippon sentenced Robinson, who is already serving a jail term for burglary, to 15 months behind bars.

The judge said she was sympathetic to Robinson's plight but that there has to be "a serious public deterrent" in such cases.

Judge Rippon said: "It has to go out, people cannot take drugs into prisons and expect anything other than a prison sentence of some length.

"It is prison, drugs have high value there, they are serious currency and cause enormous problems for prison staff when inmates are able to obtain them."

Jamie Adams, defending, said Robinson was "living between each fix" when he ran up the drug debt, which he could not pay off.

Mr Adams added: "For him to have stuffed all those things up his bottom there must have been some compelling reason for it.

"This man was clearly very frightened."