A WOMAN who was caught smuggling drugs into prison for her boyfriend could be jailed herself this week.

Vicky Powell was due to be sentenced on Monday but a judge adjourned the case until Friday so prosecutors can look into claims that she was coerced.

Powell tried to take three types of drugs – cocaine, Ecstasy and heroin substitute buprenorphine – into Holme House Prison, Stockton, on New Year’s Eve.

The 34-year-old was of previous good character and suffers from borderline personality disorder, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Her partner wrote to the judge, Recorder Gurdial Singh, but he described the letter as "14 pages of drivel", "entirely self-serving and arrogant in the extreme".

He said he entirely rejected the man saying he was ashamed to have got Powell involved, adding: "There is no sign of remorse. It is all about him that she's been caught.

" I have not seen any evidence of coercion anywhere. All I can see is someone taking drugs in for her boyfriend."

The judge told defence lawyer, Kelleigh Lodge, that he was prepared to adjourn the case for prosecutors to look into the claim.

He told Powell: "Your mitigation is you were somehow put upon to take these drugs into prison. I would expect the prosecution to make some inquiries into whether there is any truth in that, but they have done absolutely nothing. This is a case where you are looking at an immediate custodial term.

Powell, of Patterdale Avenue, Stockton, admitted three counts of conveying prohibited articles into the jail.