Sister smuggled pills to brother in Polmont YOI

A sister used a packet of crisps to pass some pills to her incarcerated brother but guards were alerted when he choked on the tablets.

Gillian Thomas (32) was given a package of pills to pass to her sibling, who was serving time in Polmont Young Offenders Institution, and she put them in the crisp bag.

She was caught after her brother coughed up the mystery tablets as he tried to swallow them.

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Appearing from custody at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Thomas admitted introducing the tablets into the YOI on September 23 last year. She also pled guilty to failing to appear at court on December 13, 2017.

Procurator fiscal depute Susan Campbell said: “The accused was visiting her brother Craig Thomas. At the YOI she bought a bag of crisps from a vending machine, opened the bag and placed a packet of tablets in it before giving the crisp to her brother.

“While eating the crisps he placed the tablets into his mouth and attempted to swallow them. At this point he choked and spat out the tablets. This drew the attention of the prison staff, who searched him and found the tablets in his boxer shorts.

“Police were contacted and the tablets were sent to the laboratory – the results have since come back as inconclusive.”

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Stephen Biggam, defence solicitor, said Thomas did not know what the pills were, she was just told to bring them.

Since being charged, Thomas had failed to attend for appointments and Sheriff Derek Livingston said he did not believe her excuse she simply forgot.

He added: “She did a disappearing act – she had to appear in December and it took until May to get her here.”

Mr Biggam responded: “She was avoiding issues and those issues can no longer be avoided.”

Thomas, 238 Broadholm Street, Glasgow, was sentenced to six months in prison back dated to May 8. She was also placed on a supervised community payback order for two years to begin upon her release.