A Liverpool man was caught trying to smuggle cocaine and cannabis into prison while visiting a friend behind bars.
Laurence Woods was caught with the drugs strapped to his thigh while he was visiting a pal at HMP Berwyn prison in Wrexham. He was asked by a guard whether he had any prohibited items and replied he didn't.
During a search the guard felt something in Woods' clothing and asked again whether he had any prohibited items.
North Wales Police were called and Woods was told he would have to wait when he tried walk out of the jail, reports North Wales Live.
When police arrived they found a package strapped to his inner thigh containing 1.02 grammes of cocaine - worth an estimated £150 inside prison and 3.42 grammes of cannabis with a value of around £110.
The incident happened on July 19 last year.
Woods, 33, of Michigan Close in Netherley, later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
Yesterday Mold Crown court heard that Woods had 51 previous convictions for a range of offences such as robbery, burglary and drugs possession.
Prosecutor Nicholas Williams said the defendant accepted he was taking the drugs in to prison for a friend but it was not a financial transaction. Martin Walsh, defending, said the best thing he could say for his client was that he had given an early guilty plea at interview.
He added that since he had been in Altcourse prison Woods had been on a methadone reduction programme.
Sentencing Woods, Judge Parry said drugs in prisons were the cause of "serious disciplinary issues".
He said "Slowly but surely the penny will drop that people who take drugs into prisons go into immediate custody.
"For supplying a similar amount of drugs the starting point is three-and-a-half years."
Judge Parry pointed to the fact that Woods had no previous convictions for drug supply and had confessed to the crime quickly. Woods was jailed for 28 months.
