Newbury man jailed for smuggling drugs into prison

Fifty-five-year-old tried to pass thousands of pounds worth of cannabis and 'Spice'

A NEWBURY man who tried to smuggle thousands of pounds worth of cannabis into prison has been jailed.

Peter Broster also tried to smuggle a mobile phone and the so-called ‘zombie drug’ Spice into Mount Prison in Hertfordshire.

Luton Crown Court heard on Wednesday, August 21, how the 55-year-old, who lives at London Road, had gone to visit inmate Samuel Chesterton when he was seen to hand a package to him.

Sarah Porter, prosecuting, said: “They were in the visiting hall sitting opposite each other at a table when officers watching CCTV saw him pass the package. Chesterton tried to hide it between his legs, but the package was seized.”

It was found to contain 41.7g of cannabis and 56.1g of the synthetic Spice, nicknamed the zombie drug for its bizarre and dangerous effects.

Together the drugs were valued at £9,000 and there were also six mobile phones and accessories in the package, the judge was told.

Broster admitted 12 charges of conveying a prohibited article into prison in July.

In addition, he has 34 previous convictions and has been jailed twice for drug dealing, the court heard.

In a basis of plea, which was rejected by the judge, Broster said he had been forced into delivering the package because he was being threatened.

Caroline Stewart, defending, highlighted her client’s health problems.

Broster, who has one leg amputated below the knee, had suffered infections in the stump last year was treated in hospital for pneumonia, she said.

Jailing him for 15 months, judge Andrew Bright QC said: “The message needs to go out loud and clear to those tempted to smuggle drugs into prison; they will go immediately to prison themselves.”