A man has admitted catapulting a Kinder Egg filled with drugs into a prison.
Wayne Sullivan, of Mallard Close, Liverpool, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday (April 14) and admitted one charge of attempting to throw a prohibited article into a prison previously. Prosecutor Andrew Green told the court that, on August 27, 2020, Sullivan travelled from Merseyside to HMP Berwyn in Wrexham to send in banned items.
Sullivan was spotted on camera exiting a Nissan Juke car at around 2pm. He had donned a face covering and used a catapult to launch a single Kinder Egg capsule over the prison fence, NorthWalesLive reports. Staff at the facility on the Wrexham Industrial Estate immediately reported this to North Wales Police.
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Mr Green said that Sullivan was seen by CCTV operators who dispatched prison-based dog wardens to the scene to recover the parcel thrown over. The plastic yellow capsule was found to contain a cling film-wrapped package of cannabis that weighed in at roughly seven grams, along with about five grams of tobacco. All in all, it was worth nearly £100.
The court heard that there is a co-defendant who remains at large to this day. Sullivan was arrested on the same day as the throwing incident near the Wrexham Golf Club, a few miles away from the prison.
Defending, Peter Wilson said his client was "scared" by threats being made to him by his co-accused. He was left feeling "pressured" and that he had "no other option" but to help him get the drugs over the prison walls.
Sullivan understands the seriousness of the offence and is sorry for what he has done, Mr Wilson added. He is "ashamed and embarrassed" of the situation he has put himself and his family into.
The court heard that both his partner, who was in court, and 15-month-old baby daughter rely on Sullivan for day-to-day care. Any spell of custody imposed by the judge would therefore have an impact on the wider family unit.
The judge, Niclas Parry, felt able to draw back from sending Sullivan to prison after hearing the "expectational case" outlined. He suspended the six-month prison sentence for 18 months, adding a requirement to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Parry said: "You haven't been to prison before. If you had been you would know that drugs cause bullying, violence and intimidation.
"It makes the job of prison officers extremely difficult and frustrates rehabilitation - which is what prison is all about. Drugs are flowing into Berwyn prison and sentences must be passed to stop that.
"It is accepted that you were being intimidated. I bear in mind that this matter has been hanging over you and your family for a long time now - I believe that is because they've been looking for the other man involved."
