Fife woman was pressured into smuggling cocaine into prison

Angela Rooney tried to get the drugs into Glenochil jail where her partner was serving a sentence.

The 45-year old was caught doing so and claimed her partner was threatening to kill himself if she did not take the drugs inside.

Rooney, formerly of Glenrothes, now of Cairns Terrace, Methilhill, appeared for sentencing at Alloa Sheriff Court. She admitted that on April6 last year at HMP Glenochil, she supplied a class A drug cocaine.

Defence solicitor Gino Gambale said, “This is clearly a significant aggravation in her offending and is entirely out of character.. Her partner was in prison and was being pressured to bring in drugs. In a moment of desperation, he asked her. He said if she didn’t do it, he would kill himself as he couldn’t take it anymore. She took in drugs on this single occasion. This conduct is unacceptable and she recognises that.”

He said his client suffers from various ailments which would mean she would be “vulnerable” if sent to prison.

Sheriff Neil Bowie told Rooney, “Supplying drugs to prison is an extremely serious offence, passes the custodial threshold and that would normally be the sentence for this.

“It seems there was an element of coercion and pressure but, notwithstanding that, you have your own will. This offence would have required a significant level of planning to acquire the cocaine, travel to the prison, conceal the drugs and try to pass them on to your partner.”

However, he decided against imposing a jail term. Instead, Rooney was put on an 11-month restriction of liberty order and a community payback order with a year’s supervision.