Prisoner tried to smuggle tobacco concealed internally in Kinder egg
A PRISONER had tobacco concealed internally when he was being checked into Les Nicolles at the start of his sentence.
The Magistrate’s Court was told that Michael Ogier, 46, of Happy Landings, Forest, had been met by two prison officers in reception.
When they told him he would be taken to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital and X-rayed because it was suspected that he had something concealed internally, he made a full admission.
The plastic insides of three Kinder eggs, containing a total of 48.3grams of tobacco, were recovered.
Ogier said in interview that he had tried to take the tobacco in to smoke himself. He knew that having tobacco in Les Nicolles was against the rules, but not that it was a criminal offence.
He admitted a charge of conveying tobacco into the prison.
Advocate Simon Florance said his client had made full and frank admissions when he knew the game was up.
He intended to smoke the tobacco when he got an outside job in the prison and it was all for his own use.
He had a criminal record of some length but he had been in gainful employment for some eight to 10 years.
Judge Graeme McKerrell said that once the defendant knew he had been rumbled he had gone along with it, which had made life easier for all concerned.
Tobacco was a currency in the prison but he accepted that Ogier had planned to smoke it all himself.
Taking contraband into the prison had to attract a prison sentence, which in this case would be 14 days, suspended for two years.
Forfeiture and destruction of the tobacco was ordered.
