A WOMAN posted a dressing gown with drugs hidden in it to her brother in prison, a court heard.

Jake Rowley, of Gwenfro in Wrexham, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday morning via video link from HMP Oakwood in the West Midlands.

His sister Alisha Rowley, of Wyndham Gardens in Wrexham, appeared in the dock at the court, as both siblings faced charges of conveying ketamine and heroin into HMP Berwyn last October.

Both 21-year-old Alisha and 25-year-old Jake Rowley admitted the offences.

Brian Treadwell, prosecuting, told the court that on October 7, 2021, a parcel arrived at HMP Berwyn for inmate Jake Rowley.

READ MORE: Bagillt man sentenced for assaulting woman over weights

It contained a dressing gown which caused suspicion, leading to it being x-rayed.

Areas of distorted matter were detected, leading to the stitching being breached.

Inside, four parcels of a brown powder - later confirmed to be heroin - were discovered, as well as three parcels of a white powder, later identified as ketamine.

A detailed investigation followed, whereby officers tracked the post office the parcel was sent from via its stamp markings, then analysed CCTV.

Alisha Rowley was seen arriving in the area in her car, making a cash withdrawal and then paying in cash for the item to be posted.

Her brother's phone usage in the days leading up to the postage was scrutinised - and it was discovered he'd made various calls to her asking for her to post a package in.

He advised her to spray perfume around the parcel - thought to be a tactic to get around the prison's sniffer dogs.

When she was interviewed, Alisha Rowley said she was put under "some degree of pressure."

Make sure you don't miss the top court stories of the week by signing up to our free court newsletter

The Leader:

Having been assured by Judge Niclas that his client's sentence wouldn't extend his ongoing prison sentence, Andrew Green, defending Jake Rowley, made no further representations.

Judge Parry said drugs in the prison risked the safety of staff and inmates, as it acts as a currency and causes bullying and intimidation.

The Judge handed down a two year sentence for Jake Rowley, to run concurrent to his 10 year ongoing sentence for his involvement in a drugs conspiracy.

Alisha Rowley will be back in court on January 20 for sentence, after a pre-sentence report about her circumstances and background has been compiled.

Judge Parry said if a meaningful alternative to custody is suggested, her sentence of imprisonment will be suspended.