A woman was under threat when she took drugs into prison in a visit to her ex-boyfriend, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Suspicions arose as Katie Louise Helliwell spent an unusually long time in the toilet at Holme House Prison.
The CCTV operator then concentrated on her in the Stockton jail’s visiting room as she was seen hiding a package in her left hand.
She was caught with a condom carrying seven diazepam tablets, worth a total of £420 to £560 in prison, on the afternoon of November 6 last year.
She said threats had been made to her and she took the drugs on a visit to her former partner.
She was threatened by two men, one of whom called her while a probation officer was with her, said prosecutor Harry Hadfield yesterday.
Helliwell, of Mellor Street, Stockton, admitted conveying drugs into prison.
Andrew White, defending, said: “She was under extreme pressure in this instance.
“She has a lot of support now. There is family with her.”
Judge Peter Bowers told Helliwell he could tell she knew she faced prison, as she brought two full bags into court with her.
He added: “Very often that’s what happened to anyone who tries to take drugs into prison.
“It’s quite clear you were put under pressure. That’s been confirmed by the independent evidence of the probation officer and I accept that.
“You’ve got some serious ongoing medical problems. You’ve had surgery and quite frankly you need all the help you can get as far as that’s concerned.
“The probation officer speaks very well of you, and asks me to suspend the sentence.”
He gave her a six-month prison term suspended for a year with supervision.
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