A woman who attempted to smuggle mobile phone SIM cards to her boyfriend in prison has been told by a sheriff that her relationship was “toxic”.
Samantha Nelson concealed two SIM cards in her mouth on a visit to HMP Inverness, also known as Porterfield.
After being caught out by a routine search, she said that she had been pressured into the crime by her then partner.
Nelson, 26, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously admitted a single charge of attempting to bring a personal communication device into prison without reasonable excuse.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that at around 2.20pm on December 20 2021 Nelson was in the visitor waiting room as routine searches were carried out while waiting to visit her boyfriend.
“The witness became aware that the accused was behaving in a suspicious manner; standing close to the door and seemed to be keen to get through.”
Young lady ‘still has learning to do’
As Nelson was searched she was asked to drop her face mask and open her mouth but did so in such a way that her mouth could not be seen clearly.
Ms Hood told the court that the searcher “could hear an item in the accused’s mouth”.
She said: “The accused was asked to spit whatever was in her mouth in the bin”.
Once she had done this staff noted two SIM cards in the bin that had not been there beforehand.
Solicitor David Patterson, for Nelson, told the court that his client was a young lady who “still has a lot of learning to do”.
He said she had entered into a relationship with the prisoner and the relationship had become “toxic”.
The court heard that Nelson, of Morven View Road, Gardenstown, had initially refused his requests but the requests soon became threats to her and her family.
“The threat appeared to be quite a real one in her mind,” Mr Patterson added.
He said Nelson had expressed “quite genuine” remorse over the incident.
‘This was a toxic relationship’
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Nelson: “You may not know this but it is a very serious matter to attempt to smuggle items into a prison setting.
“This was a toxic relationship. He was asking you to do something dangerous and stupid.”
As a direct alternative to custody, the sheriff placed Nelson on a community payback order with one year’s supervision.
