A HEROIN addict who tied to smuggle drugs into a prison and threatened a security guard with one of her needles before biting him has been jailed.

Donna Carter was last night starting a 30-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to eight charges at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, told the court how five offences involved a failed attempt to smuggle drugs into Holme House Prison in February.

She said the 36-year-old was seen pulling a package from her trousers, which was intercepted by a prison officer. It contained Class A, B and C drugs including heroin and cannabis.

Miss Masters said Carter, of Radnor Close, Stockton, told police she had been forced to smuggle the drugs to settle an ex-partner’s drug debt as her family had been threatened.

She also answered a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH), having a bladed in the form of a hypodermic needle in a public place and theft.

Miss Masters said the last three charges related to an incident at the Poundland store in the Castlegate Shopping Centre, in Stockton, where Carter was stopped after trying to steal £32 worth of chocolate on October 8.

She was taken to a room at the back of the store where she threatened to stab the security guard with her needle before biting him on the hand.

She was chased through the town centre but the security guard stopped after she continued to threaten him. She was later arrested by police.

In a victim impact statement, the security guard said the incident had left him “shook to the core” and nervous to go back to work. He is also having to undergo treatment following the bite and said he was scared he could have contracted hepatitis C.

Andrew Turton, mitigating, said his client did not have hepatitis but had been addicted to drugs since she was 18.

He said Carter was a victim of domestic violence and had been “fearful” of the consequences if she did not take the drugs into prison. Carter also told him she only bit the security guard because he was “ragging her about”.

Judge Peter Armstrong sentenced her to a total of 30 months and ordered the drugs be destroyed.