Magistrates' daughter jailed for trying to smuggle drugs into prison

A privileged daughter of two serving magistrates has been jailed for trying to smuggle drugs inside her body into a prison.

Sian Baber, 21, known as Shan, hid heroin and cannabis in an attempt to pass it to her drug addict boyfriend David Dugdale, 25, who was serving time for theft.

A court heard he was jailed for 18 months in January 2007 and soon "pressurised" her into smuggling drugs into the Category 'C' Dartmoor Prison in Devon.

Baber hid 2g of heroin, 12g of cannabis resin and 2g of herbal cannabis in her body, but it was found in a search at the prison.

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She was jailed for four years at Plymouth Crown Court after being found guilty of one charge of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and two charges of possessing a Class C drug with intent to supply.

The court heard Baber had enjoyed a "privileged" upbringing with her magistrate parents but her life went into "downfall" when the relationship with Dugdale began.

She had a history of choosing "abusive and controlling partners" and began using heroin shortly after meeting Dugdale, it was said.

Baber's parents, who are both serving magistrates, were not in court but issued a statement through a family member from their semi-detached home in Helston, Cornwall.

It said: "She regrets what she has done and she will learn from her mistakes."

Later her mother Angela Baber added: "Obviously we are absolutely devastated but do not want to talk about the matter.

"All I can say is that we will always offer every support we can to her."

Recorder Leslie Blohm told Baber: "Drugs in prison do a great deal of damage to people and discipline. They undermine and corrupt, and your drugs would have gone a long way.

"Your parents are devastated by the hell into which you have fallen, and one would have a heart of stone not to sympathise with them, but you have brought this on yourself."

Mr Blohm, who revealed Dugdale had been beaten up in jail, presumably because Baber had failed in her mission, added: "This illustrates the corrosive effects of drug use in prison.

"You acted out of loyalty to your boyfriend and with a degree of naivety, but you didn't give much thought to the consequences."

Malcolm Clark, defending, said Baber had began using heroin after she met Dugdale when she moved to Plymouth, Devon, in 2006.

He said she was not a drug dealer, was not profiting from selling drugs and had acted under duress and threats from her boyfriend.

Mr Clark said Baber had now matured, was living back at home with her parents, was off illicit drugs and wanted to go to college and follow a career in care work.

She pleaded not guilty to the offences on January 9 at Plymouth Crown Court and was sentenced to four years on Wednesday.

Mr Blohm told Baber the offences were serious enough for custody and that bringing drugs into prison undermined inmates who were trying to give them up.

Dugdale, who is currently serving time at a different prison, initially agreed to speak in support of Baber in court, but later changed his mind.