A VULNERABLE young man who was used as a drugs mule to smuggle items into prison has avoided a spell behind bars himself after a judge heard he had been preyed upon.

Jamie Gaines was given cocaine and two lots of tablets before visiting an inmate at HMP Holme House, Stockton, a week before Christmas last year.

His attempted hand-over of the packages – worth £1,500 behind bars – was seen by jail staff and police were called in, a court was told.

Gaines, 22, was said to have suffered from learning difficulties, had a way below average IQ at less than 70, and has the mental capacity of somebody aged just 12.

A judge at Teesside Crown Court said Gaines had been seen as a "soft touch" by dealers who pressured him into taking the illegal substances into the prison.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said Gaines, of Cumbrian Way, Peterlee, was spotted acting suspiciously as he visited his cousin at the jail on December 14 last year.

He was escorted from the visitors’ room and asked whether he had anything he should not have and initially said "no", Miss Haigh told Judge Sean Morris.

The court heard he produced the drugs when he was warned by prison staff that police would be called and he would be strip-searched.

He had 6.29g of cocaine and 64 tablets of two types of Class C drugs.

The Crown accepted he played a lesser role under pressure and a psychological report confirmed his difficulties.

Gaines admitted three charges of taking drugs into prison.

Judge Sean Morris told Gaines: “Anybody who takes drugs into prison gets a custodial sentence and there will have to be a custodial sentence in your case, but it will be suspended.

“I have the benefit of a psychological report that confirms that you have a learning disability.

“Although you’re now 22, your counsel says really you’re operating at the age of a 12-year-old. You’ve had these problems throughout your life.

“You are clearly someone that was deliberately targeted as a soft touch, somebody who would be genuinely scared, but you knew that it was wrong.

“It’s accepted that in fact this coercion was genuine. No doubt they chose you because of your difficulties.”

He gave Gaines a ten-month jail term suspended for 18 months with 50 days’ rehabilitation activity.

He added: “I stress again, were it not for the very real difficulties that you have in life, you would be going to prison straight away for these offences.

“And people who take drugs into prison must understand that’s what happens ordinarily, even if it’s under duress.

“Do not get into trouble again and be careful who you choose to speak to."