Dudley man jailed for cop shop drug smuggling (From Dudley News)

Dudley man jailed for cop shop drug smuggling

12:05pm Tuesday 15th December 2009

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A DUDLEY man who tried to smuggle heroin into Brierley Hill Police Station has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

James Reay, of Laurel Road, had the drug hidden inside a bag bound for his cousin, 30-year-old Steven Mills, but it was quickly discovered by a police officer, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

After his arrest Reay, aged 22, maintained he had been given the bag containing the drugs to deliver to Mills and he said he had no idea heroin was involved in the matter.

Judge Martin Walsh told Reay: "Anyone who takes drugs into a custodial environment commits a serious offence, it is imperative that those people being held in custody are not in a position to use illegal drugs."

Reay, who admitted attempting to supply heroin, was convicted by a jury at the end of his trial on two charges of handling stolen property.

Glen Reay, his brother of the same address, was also convicted by the jury on two charges of handling, he was given a 36-week prison sentence suspended for two years.

The 27-year-old who, the court heard, had spent 234 days in custody since his arrest, was further placed under supervision for a year and ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

Mills of Marigold Crescent, Dudley, admitted one charge of burglary was he was also convicted on the two charges of handling and he was given a 48-week prison sentence suspended for two years.

Mills who had also spent 234 days in custody since his arrest was also placed under supervision for a year and told to undergo drug rehabilitation.

Andrew Thornsbury, aged 36, of Willow Road, Dudley, admitted two charges of handling stolen property and he was given a 44-week jail term suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 240 hours community punishment.

Gurdeep Garcha, defending James Reay, who has also spent 234 days in custody since his arrest described his attempt to get heroin into the police station as "amateurish and sloppy”.

He said James Reay had been taking drugs himself before the offence and it was clear he had not been thinking clearly.

He and his brother both had long standing drug habits and they saw the chance of making some "easy money" when the stolen property came their way.

The Judge told the four defendants it was "very hot" handling because some of the property had been taken in a burglary just 90 minutes before it came into their hands.

He added: "You were all in it together, these were serious offences following the commission of burglaries in the area."

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