A WOMAN faces a possible spell behind bars herself, after admitting trying to pass drugs to her inmate son, on a visit to see him at a top security prison.

Janet Eunice Richardson will return to court at the end of the month to be sentenced after admitting four charges arising from a visit to see son Graham, a serving prisoner at Durham’s Frankland Jail.

Appearing at a preliminary hearing at Durham Crown Court, 54-year-old Richardson pleaded guilty to supplying the class C drug buprenorphine, on the visit, on Thursday August 28 last year.

She was said to have aroused suspicion of monitoring prison officers by placing a package containing what was found to be the heroin substitute into a waste bin in the visits area.

Richardson also admitted three counts of possessing drugs, of class A, B and C, with intent to supply.

It relates to differing amounts of heroin, cannabis and buprenorphine recovered from her clothing in a subsequent search by prison staff.

Judge Robert Adams agreed to adjourn sentence to allow preparation of a background report on Richardson by the Probation Service.

But he told defence counsel, Maria Temko: “I’ll order preparation of the pre-sentence report, with obviously no promises.

“All sentencing options are open to the court.”

Addressing the defendant, Judge Adams said: “You have pleaded guilty to all four counts and these are obviously serious matters.”

He bailed Richardson, of Birch View, Pickering, North Yorkshire, to return to the court for the sentencing hearing, on Friday January 30.