Teenage mum spared from being locked-up after she smuggled drugs into Doncaster prison

Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 9 how Charley Tilbury, aged 18, was caught with Subutex and synthetic cannabinoid drugs when she was visiting an inmate at HMP Lindholme, at Hatfield Woodhouse, near Doncaster.

Recorder Simon Eckersley told Tilbury: “Anyone bringing drugs of any type into a prison can ordinarily expect significant custodial sentences whether it’s detention or in prison depending on the age of the people.”

Amy Earnshaw, prosecuting, said Tilbury had been visiting an inmate when a supervising officer noticed the defendant appeared nervous and as she joined a queue in the prison cafe she was approached because it was believed she had placed something in a bin.

Ms Earnshaw added nothing was found in the bin but when the defendant was told she would be searched she indicated she had something which included 29 Subutex tablets and 46.9 grammes of a synthetic cannabinoid.

The Subutex, which is used to wean people off heroin, had an estimated value of £2,940 and the synthetic cannabinoid drugs had an estimated value of £4,600, according to Ms Earnshaw, who explained the value of drugs inside prisons is far greater.

Tilbury, of Alderton Heights, Leeds, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of conveying a prohibited article into a prison after the incident on January 22, 2020.

Rukhshanda Hussain, defending, said there are concerns that given Tilbury’s mental health and learning difficulties she would not cope well in a custodial setting.

Ms Hussain added that Tilbury had said she committed the offence to get money for a pram for her daughter.

Recorder Eckersley told Tilbury: “You say you were not under pressure and you did this because you were merely asked by someone you didn’t know and you simply wanted to buy a pram for your daughter.”

But he described the case as “wholly exceptional” given the defendant’s mental health and background.

Recorder Exckersley sentenced Tilbury to four months of custody suspended for 18 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor