Drugs warder ‘can’t avoid jail just because she has children’

A mother-of-two caught smuggling drugs to prisoners was today starting a jail sentence after top judges ruled that parenthood cannot be a “trump card” for criminals.

Prison officer Safak Sinem Bozkurt, 28, sneaked £11,700 of cannabis in her bra, plus mobile phones and SIM cards, past security at the young offender institution where she worked.

She was given a two-year suspended sentence at Southwark crown court after pleading with the judge not to jail her because she is a mother.

However, following a challenge by Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC, Court of Appeal judges have ruled the sentence was too lenient and Bozkurt should be jailed for two years and eight months.

Lord Justice Gross, sitting with Sir Alan Wilkie and Judge Peter Collier QC, said the plight of her children had to be balanced against the seriousness of her crimes. “The offending here was serious, it was done for venal motives. The offender should have thought about the consequences,” he said.

“With respect to the judge, we are driven to the conclusion that the sentence was not only lenient, but unduly lenient, and cannot stand.”

Bozkurt, from Islington, was caught out during a staff search at Isis young offender institution in Thamesmead in July last year. She was found to have 117g of cannabis in her bra, as well as mobile phones, SIM cards and charging cables stuffed into her waistband.

She had been offered £1,000 per consignment of smuggled goods, and agreed because she needed to clear debts and pay for the criminology masters degree she was studying.

Bozkurt was first sentenced in April by Judge Martin Griffith after pleading guilty to two counts of taking prohibited items into a prison.

But at the Court of Appeal, Paul Jarvis, representing the Solicitor General, argued the judge had paid too much attention to the plight of her children, aged four and seven. While impact on children was important it could not be a “trump card” for offenders to dodge jail, he said.

The appeal judges considered children’s rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, but also found that the amount of goods smuggled was a problem.

“They help to maintain a criminal economy and power structure within the prison,” said Lord Justice Gross. “It is important a very clear message is sent: conduct such as this on the part of a prison officer means immediate custody.”

Bozkurt was allowed to go home after the hearing last Thursday week and told to report to jail today to start her sentence.