Horden man tried to smuggle drugs into HMP Deerbolt

The warning was given to Paul Smith after he admitted two charges of conveying a list A prohibited article into a prison, at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court.

Both charges relate to class C drugs, pregabalin and etizolam, which the defendant attempted to take into HMP Deerbolt, near Barnard Castle, on a visit on Saturday, August 2, last year.

Jordan Parkinson, for Smith, said there was no basis of plea and the admissions were made by the defendant “on the full facts” put forward by the prosecution.

She asked for preparation of a background report on the defendant by the Probation Service prior to him being sentenced, adding: “He’s been out of trouble for many, many years.”

Judge Richard Bennett told Smith: “You have had the good sense to plead guilty to these two matters.

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“You’ll receive full credit for indicating those pleas at an early stage, but you must understand the fact I’m adjourning for a report and granting you bail in the meantime should not be taken as any indication as to the likely sentence.

“It’s highly likely, if not inevitable that you will go to prison.”

The 40-year-old defendant, of Ellison Meadow, Horden, was bailed to return for sentence on Thursday, May 14.