‘Entrenched’ addict smuggler is jailed

A woman who “became entrenched” in heroin and tried to smuggle around £10,000 of the drug into Perth Prison has been jailed.

Michelle Paterson, 33, of Martin Crescent, Ballingry, had an “abusive relationship” with her partner, an inmate at the jail who asked her to bring the drugs into the prison.

Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said security measures were in place in the visiting area and that CCTV showed the accused acting suspiciously on September 12 last year.

“The accused was seen looking at the ground and also around her breast area,” she said. “Police were called and they found 7.6g of heroin on the accused.”

Paterson attempted a similar offence on September 16 last year, when prison staff had trained drugs dogs there and one dog named Trigger detected something amiss.

The depute fiscal added: “The dog gave a passive identification when the accused passed by. She was observed by officers and police then found two cling-film wraps of drugs concealed in the left-hand cup of the accused’s bra. It was heroin with an estimated prison value of just under £10,000.”

Paterson’s solicitor said his client “acknowledged the error of her ways” and said she had “paid dearly” through her use of heroin.

“She started smoking the drug but became entrenched in it,” he said.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis sentenced Paterson to 32 months in jail, backdated to July 5.