JUDGE SOUNDS WARNING TO JAIL DRUG SMUGGLERS

PEOPLE who smuggled drugs into prisons almost certainly faced jail
themselves, a Supreme Court judge warned yesterday.

Justice Rosalyn Atkinson said people taking drugs into prisons also
should realise they exposed the inmates to the danger of further punishment.

Justice Atkinson was sentencing Kaylene Maree Sharpley, who admitted
attempting to smuggle about 4g of cannabis sativa to her de facto
husband in Woodford jail, north of Brisbane.

It was the second time in two days Justice Atkinson had sentenced
someone for smuggling drugs into a jail. Sharpley, 29, pleaded guilty
to attempting to supply cannabis sativa at Woodford on August 13 this
year.

Prosecutor Col Rowntree said Sharpley admitted taking the drugs into
the jail because she wanted to give her husband something to help his
depression.

He said the Crown accepted her husband was unaware she was bringing
the drugs and that Sharpley was not, herself, a drug user.

Barrister Terry Gardiner said Sharpley had no previous criminal record
and was only trying to help her long-time partner. He said there had
been no plan to smuggle drugs into the jail. Mr Gardiner said Sharpley
had already been punished because prison authorities had barred her
from seeing her husband for 12 months.

Justice Atkinson said while such offences usually meant a jail
sentence of some kind, the mitigating circumstances in Sharpley's
favour meant she would impose six months' probation.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry