Woman from Groby found smuggling thousands of pounds of drugs into prison

Kirstie Mitchell aroused the suspicions of officers as she visited a prisoner at HMP Lowdham Grange.

The prisoner was searched at the end of the visit and was found to have two sausage-shaped brown packages containing cannabis and tobacco.

Mitchell, of Willow Drive, Groby, was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to conveying a list A prohibited article into prison.

The 26-year-old was jailed for eight months when she appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (22 July 2021).

Neighbourhood Inspector Charlotte Allardice, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We have a duty to ensure our communities are safe, including the prison community, and that means bringing people like Mitchell – who admitted taking drugs into HMP Lowdham Grange - to justice.

“This type of activity jeopardises the good order of prisons and leads to difficult working environments for staff.

“I hope the prison sentence handed in this case serves as a deterrent for anyone considering embarking on a similar venture."

Karen Cousins, Serco’s Deputy Director at HMP Lowdham Grange, said: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs at HMP Lowdham Grange. I would like to praise the quick-thinking of the Serco prison officers and the police who stepped in to stop this attempt to smuggle drugs into the prison and ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice."