Prison staff observed Sarah Cormell meeting inmate Steven Corby
A mum-of-six visiting a Merseyside inmate in prison passed him spice and cannabis. Sarah Cormell travelled into Wrexham prison HMP Berwyn to meet Bootle man Steven Corby on July 1 last year.
Keen-eyed prison staff spotted Corby removing a package from the front of Cormell’s trousers, before he then put it into his waistband. Joseph Lees, prosecuting, told Mold Crown Court this week that after the package was searched, it was found to contain spice and cannabis.
Barrister Oliver Saddington, defending, said Cormell was “profoundly embarrassed” by the offence. She has six children and one broke their elbow last week and was in hospital on June 11.
Mr Saddington told the court that the mum had said to her children she might not be able to collect them from nursery. He urged the judge to suspend any jail term.
Helen Chenery, representing Corby, said he made admissions and pleaded guilty. She said he is not due to be eligible to apply for parole during his current sentence – for a drugs offence – until July next year.
NorthWalesLive reported Corby is a qualified bricklayer and has been doing vocational courses in prison. Both defendants had admitted taking a prohibited article into a prison.
Judge Simon Mills said there a clear signs warning people not to take drugs into a prison. He said he wasn’t going to send Cormell straight to prison because she has got six children and the “harm” of doing so would be disproportionate to the sentence.
He added: “It’s obvious that you regret the position you put yourself into…for financial reward.”
Corby, 46 and of Balliol Road, Bootle, was sentenced to a 12 months in prison.
Cormell, 26 and of Queens Road, Bootle, was sentenced to a suspended eight months’ prison term. She must also do 10 days of rehabilitation activity.
Corby previously appeared in court in 2010 when he was jailed for eight years after an armed robbery of a bookies in Evesham and handling stolen goods from WHSmith.
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