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HMP Brinsford teen sniffed out by drugs dog

A teenager who tried to smuggle drugs and a phone into HMP Brinsford found himself locked up at the same prison after being caught out by a sniffer dog.

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Dale Lewis, aged 19, went to the Featherstone site on October 29 last year on a pre-arranged visit.

But after signing a declaration stating he had no banned items in his possession, a sniffer dog brought the teen to the attention of guards.

A search uncovered 18.7g of cannabis, a mobile phone, SIM card and tobacco all stuffed in a hollow area inside the sole of Lewis's trainers.

Birmingham Crown a Court heard how the offences were committed in breach of a previous youth rehabilitation order imposed in March last year.

Judge Simon Drew QC, said only immediate custody was a suitable punishment and sent Lewis back to Brinsford, this time as an inmate.

He told the teen; "A custodial sentence must immediately follow.

"You are someone who is relatively young and immature in outlook.

"Hopefully you have realised, finding yourself in custody, you realise how serious these actions are and how seriously the court's view it.

"Contraband, particularly drugs and mobile phones, create a great degree of difficulty as far as prison staff are concerned.

"(Phones) allow prisoners to communicate with people outside prison in an unsupervised way.

"Drugs are illegal and create an enterprise that allows a good deal of unlawful activity to take place in relation to it."

Lewis pleaded guilty to the three smuggling charges and the breach of a court order.

He was sentenced to ten months for smuggling cannabis and three, to be served concurrently, for smuggling the mobile phone.

No seperate penalty was imposed for the tobacco offence.

A further two months were added for breaching the earlier youth rehabilitation order which had been imposed for an assault in September 2014.

John Smytheman, defending, said Lewis, of Goodman Street, Birmingham, had been trying to repay a drug debt by smuggling the items into Brinsford.

But he said the teen, now getting a first taste of custody, accepted his responsibility and had applied for various courses behind bars.

Mr Smytheman said; "Although he stated he didn't really know what he was taking into the prison he's no a stupid young man.

"He knew he was taking items in that were unlawful and he should not have been doing it.

"He has always taken responsibility."

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