Swaleside prison drug smuggler jailed after ULS referral

A woman who attempted to smuggle drugs into a Kent prison has had her sentence increased after it was referred to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Ayesha Hibbert, 28, was visiting Swaleside prison when she was spotted handing a package to an inmate. The package was later found to contain cannabis with a value of up to £2,400 if sold in prison. At the time this offence was carried out, Hibbert was already on licence for another drug-related offence.

Hibbert was originally sentenced at Southampton Crown Court in May, where she was given a 24 month community order. The Court of Appeal increased her sentence to 9 months’ imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC MP said:

By introducing drugs into the prison system, Hibbert risked not only financing criminal organisations, but jeopardising inmate rehabilitation. This is a very serious offence, and I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal that the interests of justice required an increase in the sentence.