Neil Pallister was jailed for four months after he admitted possessing Class C drugs with intent to supply.

Neil Pallister was jailed for four months after he admitted possessing Class C drugs with intent to supply.Pallister believed his addict pal might need the heroin replacement pills to help him beat his cravings.The 38-year-old - a prison regular himself - knew how hard it was to cope once behind bars, a court heard.Pallister was caught after being spotted acting suspiciously at Holme House Prison, Stockton, on October 25.He dropped a package containing white tablets when he realised he was being watched, said Harvey Murray, prosecuting.Teesside Crown Court heard how analysis of the packet showed it contained five Subutex tablets.Pallister, who has 86 previous offences on his record, had a 100-a-day amphetamine habit at one time.
His barrister, Nigel Soppitt, said Pallister has been addicted to various drugs for two decades.Mr Soppitt said his client was never asked to take the tablets into the jail, but thought he was doing his friend a favour."It was a fairly simple offence," he said. "Those trained to observe, observed him very easily, and quickly caught him red-handed."His friend did not ask for it but he felt sorry for him and he thought the drugs would be used for therapeutic reasons."
Pallister, of High Street, Redcar, east Cleveland, was on licence from jail for drugs offences when he was caught.Judge Peter Armstrong told him: "You know how serious taking drugs into prison is. You took a risk to try to help somebody, but it is something the court cannot tolerate."Mr Soppitt said since being recalled to prison for reaching his licence, Pallister has been given an old cleaning job."Sadly, he is well-known in prison and a trusted individual, and within weeks of going back he was given this trusted position," he said."If there was any hint or suspicion he was involved in drugs in prison, he would not have been given that job.
"He now realises he is too old to be coming before the courts and it is his aspiration to leave prison drug-free - as he is now - and find some sort of employment."

Daniel Galloway pleaded guilty to possession of Class C drugs with intent to supply

Daniel Galloway, 23, was searched when he began to act suspiciously during a visit to Holme House Prison, Stockton.
Two heroin substitute tablets were found on him, which he said had been given to him by a fellow-visitor.
Galloway, of Diamond Road, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to possession of Class C drugs with intent to supply when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court.
The hearing heard that two days before the offence was committed on 22 February, Galloway had been given a three month suspended jail sentence by Teesside Magistrates' Court for attempted theft. The hearing also heard that the Subutex tablets sell for £60 each in prison. Rebecca Smith, defending Galloway, said: "He is under no illusion how serious the offence is. "He has been under the influence of drugs since the age of 12. He wants to rid himself of drugs but he is subject to outside influences at the present."Sentencing him Judge George Moorhouse said: "The message must go out loud and clear to others that if they take drugs into prison they are going to receive a very severe sentence. "You must have seen the effect of drugs on yourself over the years."