A woman who palmed drugs to a ‘boyfriend’ in prison told an Oxford judge: ‘I promise not to do anything again’.

Patricia Flood, 55, was visiting the man in HMP Bullingdon in December 2019, when she was caught on CCTV passing what later turned out to be cannabis, heroin and cocaine.

It was unclear how she’d managed to smuggle the drugs into the category B men’s jail near Bicester, although she was seen visiting the toilet shortly before the visiting time exchange.

Speaking in her own defence from the dock at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, she claimed: “Basically I was asked to do it because he owed someone some money.

“He asked me to do it because he was being beaten up and if I didn’t do it they said someone on the outside would be violent towards me. I took it as I was frightened.

“It was such a small amount; I know that’s nothing to do with it. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done and I’ve learnt my lesson.”

Under tough questioning from the judge, it emerged that Flood had not been in an ‘intimate relationship’ with the prisoner to whom she passed the drugs. He was ‘just a friend, really, a close friend’.

“I wanted to help,” she said. “He’s been beaten up before in prison; lost his teeth and such. I felt sorry for him in a way. He asked me to bring a lot more in but I didn’t because I was afraid.”

She added: “I promise not to do anything again.”

Earlier, Flood was upbraided by Judge Ian Pringle QC after she claimed that she’d never been in trouble before.

“It’s just not true,” shot back Judge Pringle, who just minutes before had been told Flood was last before the courts in 2010.

But he spared her an immediate jail sentence after hearing she was no longer taking illegal drugs, working with a rehabilitation charity in Southampton, had a housing association flat, a car and was hoping to get work in the care sector.

Sentencing her to 22 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, Judge Pringle said: “I do accept you had a lesser role [in the sentencing guidelines] and the drug amounts were very small – but they cause massive disruption within Her Majesty’s prisons and what you did was a very serious offence.”

Prosecutor Christopher Pembridge said: “Any supply of drugs in the prison estate causes absolute chaos, disorder and suffering.”

Flood, of Monks Way, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to conveying a banned item into prison. She must complete a drug rehabilitation programme as one of the conditions of her suspended sentence.

Patricia Flood outside Oxford Crown Court Picture: OM

Patricia Flood outside Oxford Crown Court Picture: OM

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