A MUM whose life fell apart after the death of her daughter has been spared a jail sentence despite smuggling heroin and cannabis into prison for her son.
Karen Pope, 42, hid the drugs in her bra before using a packet of crisps to pass them to 20-year-old Kane Smith on a visit to HMP Horfield.
As previously reported Zoe Smith, 17, was killed by a dangerous driver when the Mini Cooper they were in crashed into a cemetery wall on Blackswarth Road, St George, on September 6, 2010.
And in a nightmare few years for the family, Zoe's dad David Smith was jailed in February for 12 months for dangerous and uninsured driving in the same area she lost her life.
At Bristol Crown Court yesterday, Judge David Ticehurst took into account the emotional turmoil of Zoe's death, Kane's imprisonment and other problems at home when he imposed a suspended sentence on Pope, who had brought a suitcase into the dock expecting to go to prison.
Prosecuting, Julian Howells said Miss Pope had a 3pm visit with Kane on February 19.
She was seen going to the toilet then buying a packet of Quavers from the visiting area snack bar before sitting down opposite her son.
Prison guards became suspicious after watching him moving his hand between his clothes, the crisps, his mouth and back to his clothes again. They took him to a separate room and, as Kane was uncooperative, carried out a strip search.
Mr Howells said two packages fell from his groin area, which turned out to be two cut-off latex glove fingers containing cling film layers separating the different drugs.
In the first finger, there was 7.95g of loose cannabis worth about £79 on the street and a 2.72g batch of heroin worth £136, but Mr Howells said both would have been worth considerably more in prison.
In the other finger there was 9.38g of cannabis resin and another 2.61g.
Police went to Pope's house in Kingsmead Road, Speedwell, and arrested her.
She told police a woman and two men had come to her house and delivered the packages but that she didn't know what was in them.
Mr Howells told the court incriminating phone calls between Smith and his mum suggested she knew more than she let on, however.
Pope admitted three counts of bringing drugs into prison, for which the maximum sentence is ten years.
Mitigating, Peter Richardson said his client "deeply regrets" the "stupid thing" she did. He said she had clearly not got over the loss of her daughter and felt pressured into bringing the drugs into Horfield.
Judge David Ticehurst accepted the difficulties Pope had experienced and urged her to continue to get whatever help she can.
He imposed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and warned: "Whatever happens in your life in future, Karen Pope, do not commit these sorts of offences again. I do not want you to end up like him (Kane)."
With Pope, her family and friends crying tears of relief, she thanked the judge and left the dock.
Kane admitted drug possession and will be sentenced pending a denied aggravated burglary allegation.
In January, Zahoor Hussain was jailed for 32 months for causing Zoe Smith's death.
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