Woman visiting prison inmate said she 'wanted to go home' before officers found surprise package in her bra

Leah Burke, 30, of Aigburth Road, Liverpool, jailed for 15 months for trying to smuggle cannabis into Lowdham Grange prison inside her bra
-Credit: (Image: Nottinghamshire Police)


A woman was caught trying to sneak cannabis into prison in her bra.

Leah Burke was caught by prison officers while visiting an inmate at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire. Burke, from Liverpool, was handed a 15-month prison sentence.

When officers searched her they found cannabis in her bra worth £250 on the streets but up to £6,600 behind bars. Before security found the package, the 30-year-old, of Aigburth Road told them she "wanted to go home", however she was detained and the drugs were recovered, reports NottinghamLive.

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At the time of the offences, she was on bail having been arrested for a similar alleged offence in the Thames Valley area. Lucky Thandi, prosecuting, said staff at Lowdham Grange were alerted to possible "contraband" being smuggled into the prison by the defendant on February 4, this year.

She said they asked to carry out a thorough search of her and she told them she "wanted to go home". The prosecutor said the search was done and the package was found in Burke's bra.

Miss Thandi said: "Once she was arrested her car in the car park was also searched and was found to contain a similar sized package inside the driver's door. A search was then carried out at the defendant's address in Liverpool and amounts of ketamine and cocaine were found along with digital scales.

"The values of the drugs seized inside prison were estimated to be worth as much as £6,600."

Burke pleaded guilty to conveying an illegal item into prison and possession of cocaine and ketamine and has no previous convictions. Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said his client had been forced into carrying out the crime by someone who had threats against her if she didn't.

He said: "The cannabis is worth £250 on the streets but it goes up so much because of its value in the prison system and she accepts that. She pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity which perhaps demonstrates her remorse and just this week she has watched 15 prisoners leave on the (Government's) early release scheme. Had this matter been dealt with earlier, that might have been one of those herself."

Jailing her for 15 months, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said: "The amount found was not for personal use but was intended for a person who was threatening you and for extensive supply within the prison system. Although it was a relatively small amount it had a much higher value in prison into the thousands.

"You have had the best part of seven months to reflect on that (on remand in prison) and this sentence means you will not be released immediately but in the near future because you have served the equivalent of 14-and-a-half months already."