Pregnant Woman Katie Carter Jailed for Smuggling Drugs into Prison for Boyfriend

A pregnant woman from Cheshire has been jailed after she tried to smuggle cannabis into a prison for her drug-dealing boyfriend. Katie Carter, who is also a mother to a young child, was caught hiding drugs in the soles of a pair of trainers during a visit to HMP Altcourse.

On April 20, 2023, just two weeks after receiving a suspended sentence for drug-related crimes, Carter visited her boyfriend, Paul Cordingley, in prison. She brought him clothing, including a pair of Nike React trainers. However, prison officers noticed something unusual during the security check. An X-ray scan showed that the soles of the shoes had been hollowed out.

Inside, officers found 65.3 grams of cannabis resin in one shoe and 30.8 grams in the other. The drugs were estimated to be worth between £950 and £1,400 on the streets. Carter claimed she didn’t know the drugs were there, but a jury found her guilty of bringing a banned item into prison.

Carter had already been sentenced in April 2023 for supplying Class A drugs but had avoided jail due to a suspended sentence. Her boyfriend, Cordingley, was jailed immediately at the same hearing. The court heard that Carter was deeply influenced by him, and their relationship played a major role in her criminal behavior.

Her lawyer, Callum Ross, said Carter had not made money from the smuggling attempt and had worked hard to stay out of trouble since her last offence. He told the court that Carter is a single mother and the only carer for her one-year-old child. She had been cooperating with social services to keep custody of her child and had also ended her relationship with Cordingley.

Mr. Ross explained that Carter had support from a women’s refuge and was trying to rebuild her life. He said she had been a woman of good character before meeting Cordingley, and she now understood how damaging that relationship was to her life.

Despite these efforts, Judge Stuart Driver KC sentenced Carter to 12 months in prison. The judge acknowledged that her situation was sad and noted her efforts to change. He also said that Cordingley was largely responsible for her actions and that she had done well with the community service required by her suspended sentence.

However, he explained that smuggling drugs into a prison is a serious crime and usually results in immediate custody. The judge said there were strong reasons to reduce the sentence but not enough to avoid jail completely.

Carter was led away in tears after the sentencing.