Woman who smuggled class-A drugs into festival in bra and Innocent smoothie spared jail

A woman who attempted to smuggle LSD and magic mushrooms into Creamfield inside an Innocent smoothie and her bra has dodged jail. Maria Boribon planned to sneak over 150 tabs of class A drugs into the dance music festival under her boyfriend's instructions, in what's been described as a 'one-off piece of stupidity'.

The university student and PhD hopeful has walked free from court today as a judge took what he described as an "exceptional course". Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday the now 20-year-old was stopped by security staff upon entering the festival site in Daresbury, Cheshire, on the Thursday of the event in 2022, reports LiverpoolEcho.

When approached by staff, she surrendered a package which has been hidden within her bra. Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, described how 159 tabs of LSD were subsequently discovered inside the parcel.

A bottle of Innocent smoothie found in her possession was meanwhile found to contain a "liquid mixture" of psychedelic mushrooms. Boribon, of Old Town Street in Plymouth, confessed she had been given the drugs by her then partner, who was intending to distribute them among friends once inside the festival. She has no previous convictions.

Rick Holland, defending, told the court: "So far as this offending is concerned, it was not the product of any pre-planning on her part. It was an impulse response to the situation that presented itself.

"It is a situation, I submit, that it is highly unlikely to ever present itself again. Her behaviour, putting it kindly, smacks of behaviour that she had not properly thought through.

"She was 19 at the time of the offending. The effect of these proceedings is described as being salutary. Her sense of shame, regret and disgrace was so great and her desire to spare her parents of the anxiety and embarrassment is such that she simply could not find the courage to tell them what had taken place until relatively recently.

"It is any parent's worst nightmare that anything such as this should end up occurring. Her actions have the potential to put her academic future at risk.

"There is here intelligence and capability."

Mr Holland outlined Boribon's work in a care home alongside her hopes to complete a master's degree and PhD, adding: "She has an awful lot to offer in terms of her own progression through life and the contribution she can make to society in the particular field in which she works.

"This considerable mistake is going to have considerable consequences, and already has had considerable consequences. The prospect of immediate custody would be devastating for her given her age, vulnerability and naivety.

"There are nil or very remote prospects that this lady will come before the criminal courts again, and she will go on to live her life in a way which anyone would think of as very fulfilling."

Boribon admitted possession of LSD with intent to supply and possession of psilocybin. She appeared remorseful and dabbed tears away from her face with a tissue as she was issued an 18-month community order with 250 hours of unpaid work and was fined £50 and told to pay a victim surcharge.

Sentencing, Recorder Graham Wells said: "I am not going to send you to prison today, but I am going to take an exceptional course. You knew they were drugs and you knew they were illegal.

"As you approached security, you were called over and you handed them over. That was a sensible thing to do. I have read references from your family, your friends and your tutor.

"What they show is that, academically, you show great promise, and you have great prospects. You background is protected and naïve. The overwhelming response of your family and friends is shock and concern.

"The reaction of your parents is what one would expect - anger, but total support. You are lucky, very lucky. You were 19 at the time.

"This was your first boyfriend and you did something because he asked you to, something impulsive and something out of character. You are not the first and you are not going to be the last whose naivety has been taken advantage of.

"Taking drugs into a festival is serious, really serious. I take the view that this was a one-off piece of stupidity, the sort that perhaps all of us have come across before and may have even been involved in silliness ourselves.

"It does not mean that the rest of your life should be blighted completely - nevertheless, this was a serious offence. You are on a track which, if you stay on it, will mean we will never see you any more in these courts.

"That is to be devoutly wished for. Ms Boribon, the court has been merciful. Please do not let us ever see you again, but good luck with your examinations."

Boribon replied: "Thank you."

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