Woman smuggled drugs in Kinder Eggs at festival

A REVELLER has been spared prison after she admitted trying to smuggle drugs out of Creamfields in Kinder eggs.

Ellie Amanda Moss, 20, of Alder Avenue, Huyton, was searched after security spotted her with friends propping up another member of their group who was in a ‘noticeably bad way’ and advised them to take the sick raver to the first aid tent.

The guards saw the defendant ‘fiddling’ with her bag and asked if the patient had taken any drugs, with Moss replying that the other young woman had taken ‘Magic’, meaning MDMA – meaning powder-form ecstasy.

Security staff searched her bag and found two Kinder egg capsules – the yellow containers that usually contain toys, but had 12 small bags of the Class B drug ketamine weighing 2.27g, and the other with 11 ecstasy tablets.

She also had £95 seized. A female police officer conducted a strip search and found a small amount of ketamine in her bra consistent with personal use.

Moss had no previous convictions and was of ‘good character’ with references from family, friends, and a school report.

She denied that the drugs were for anyone else until pleading guilty shortly before trial, first over the MDMA, and then last Thursday, October 24, over the ketamine.

The defendant pleaded on the basis that she was going to take the drugs out of the festival for an acquaintance so that they could be brought back in the following day for sale and that they only had day tickets meaning they had to leave before returning.

Simeon Evans, defence counsel, agreed that the offences should be classed in the lowest category for drug supply offences and argued for a suspended sentence on the basis his client had not taken drugs since, was a ‘young lady clearly terrified’ by her situation, had been ‘stupid and naive’ and had been told she could keep her job.

Judge Simon Berkson accepted those arguments and sentenced her to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with 250 hours unpaid work with a six-month curfew from 8pm to 6.30am.

Moss must also pay £500 in costs.

During the hearing, the judge noted how often the courts see Kinder eggs in Creamfields drug cases, telling Mr Evans: “What happened is your client has her bag open when she’s in the presence of people who know the insides of Kinder eggs contain drugs.”

Sentencing her at Chester Crown Court on Friday, Judge Berkson said there were ‘dangers inherent with the use of drugs at festivals due to the large number of people present’ as he held back from imposing an immediate prison sentence.

He said: “You have no previous convictions.

“Your family and employer speak highly of you.

“I’ve seen a school report that shows how hard you’re willing to work to get a job as a nursery nurse.

“It’s sad to see someone such as yourself before the court.”