Mum who smuggled drugs into jail fined

Stacey Black was let off with a £200 fine after a sheriff accepted she had been “naive and stupid”.

Livingston Sheriff Court was told that Black took a lump of cannabis to Addiewell Prison in West Lothian and then passed the drugs to her ex-boyfriend Thomas Johnstone.

But prison officers, who had searched Johnstone before Black arrived, frisked him again after she left and found the seven-gramme lump of cannabis resin worth £15.

Black, 22, of Blackburn, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis resin on October 19 last year.

The Crown accepted a not guilty plea to a second charge of bringing a prescribed drug into prison and passing it to a prisoner.

Brent Bissett, prosecuting, said that after the drugs were found, the accused was traced and interviewed by police.

He said: “She admitted taking the drugs into the prison by concealing them on her person.”

Darryl Lovie, defending, said Black had no previous convictions and the incident was the first time she had come to the attention of police.

He said: “She’s been extremely silly and, to a large degree, naive.

“It’s not the case that she was under any significant pressure to do this and there’s no suggestion of coercion.

“I think she’s just been very stupid, although it’s obviously a very serious matter given the aggravation of the locus.”

Mr Lovie added: “I’d be surprised if the court saw Miss Black again.”

Passing sentence, Sheriff Brian Adair told Black: “I’ll give you an opportunity to 
behave yourself.”