A DRUGS mule mum who tried to smuggle heroin and crack cocaine into prison for her son after he was threatened by other inmates has now joined him behind bars.

Dawn Day, 52, tried to sneak the Class A drugs into HMP Hewell after receiving 'begging' phone calls from her son, believing he was in danger from other criminals.

Day, who lives in the picturesque Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold on a street where houses average £250,000, was found with 400mg of crack and 94mg of heroin.

A court heard she was "forced into becoming a drugs mule" and worried for her son after he was attacked by other lags who demanded he obtained drugs.

Day was recorded on CCTV in the visitor's area and observed by security staff before being caught with the stash on March 23 last year at around 3.30pm.

She admitted two counts of supplying a Class A drug and was jailed for 10 months at Worcester Crown Court on Friday.

Sentencing, Judge Anthony Lowe said: "I'm satisfied that these drugs were supplied to the prison because you had a genuine concern for your son who you believed was in real danger – and he may well have been in real danger.

"I accept that you are genuinely sorry for what you have done and it's clear that the amounts of drugs involved in this case were a very low amount.

"I'm satisfied that you are not a bad person but anybody who supplies drugs under any circumstances to prison has to know that an immediate custodial sentence will almost invariably be imposed because there has to be a deterrent.

"A message has to go out that people who supply drugs to prison will go to prison.

"I'm afraid it's with a heavy heart that it has to be an immediate custodial sentence."

Prosecutor Christopher Lester said although the crack cocaine only had a street value of £30 to £40, in prison the value was inflated to up to £200.

The heroin would be worth £40 in jail.

Mr Lester argued that Day had a 'significant role' in the enterprise and the judge said the 'prison context' was an aggravating feature.

Michael Aspinall, defending, said Day had effectively been forced as a mule to take the drugs into prison.

Mr Aspinall said her son told her his clothes had been destroyed and he had suffered a broken arm.

He said: "She received numerous calls from a private number from her son begging her to bring in the drugs.

"She was very frightened for her son and could often hear others asking her to consider helping him while he made these begging calls.”

He also told the court she suffered from anxiety and depression and looked after her father who suffered a stroke, performing the tasks he was unable to.

He added: "He would be left alone without the care that she gives him."