The Chronicle

The Spice boy!

- By ROB KENNEDY Court Reporter rob.kennedy@trinitymir­ror.com

THROWING almost £8,000 of the drug Spice and other narcotics over the wall of a prison has landed this crook in jail.

John Curtis hurled a package containing drugs and a mobile phone into HMP Northumber­land, in Acklington.

A court heard the 31-year-old had been bullied into throwing the illegal stash in and it was quickly spotted by guards.

It contained £7,890 of Spice, a former legal high which has now been outlawed, together with £140 of MDMA, £670 of diazepam, £105 of cannabis and more than £100 of a drug used to treat epilepsy.

Now Curtis has been jailed for two years and eight months at Newcastle Crown Court after he admitted throwing banned and psychoacti­ve items into prison.

An official from the jail said in a statement banned substances have “a corrosive effect on prison life” and pose a threat to security and rehabilita­tion inmates.

Prosecutor­s accepted Curtis, who has previous conviction­s for drugs and dishonesty and has served prison sentence, had been “put under pressure”.

Judge Robert Spragg told him: “It is quite clear you would not have been able to pay for these drugs yourself. I reflect the pressure you were put under.”

Jennifer Coxon, defending, said he was put under “coercion, intimidati­on and pressure” and is a vulnerable man who had been “bullied” since he was released from prison.

Miss Coxon said Curtis, of Campbell Road, Sunderland, had “no option” but to take the package.

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 ??  ?? John Curtis - and a prison van outside HMP Northumber­land
John Curtis - and a prison van outside HMP Northumber­land

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