A 'FOOLISH' woman who was 'caught in the act' trying to sneak illicit pills into Greenock prison for her incarcerated sister is set to be sentenced at the sheriff court.

Claire Hand admitted a charge of attempting to bring or introduce the class C 'street valium' substance etizolam into HMP Greenock in September 2019.

The 35-year-old appeared in the dock from custody having previously pleaded guilty to the offence on the day she was due to stand trial on the matter.

Hand, who is currently serving a sentence for another crime, visited her sister at the jail while she herself was on early release from a High Court sentence, the court was told.

A prosecutor said: "Officers observed a small package being passed across the table to her sister.

"Both were restrained and 10 white tablets were seized.

"Tests found the drug to be etizolam."

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Defence solicitor Peter Murray said Hand's sister 'continues to serve a significant custodial sentence' at the prison.

Mr Murray said: "[The sister] has struggled with mental health problems and [Hand] had been contacted a number of times indicating she was struggling and was unable to source any kind of medical help.

"Foolishly she agreed to bring something in and she was caught in the act.

"She is anxious that the court accepts that her motivation for bringing this in and introducing it to the prison was simply genuine concern for her sister's wellbeing, not for any financial or commercial gain.

"It was well-intended but wrong-headed."

The Telegraph revealed last November that thousands of drugs including crack cocaine and heroin have been seized from inmates within Greenock prison over the last two years.

Nearly 12,000 illicit tablets - as well as steroids, street valium and the dangerous synthetic cannabinoid 'spice' - have been found and removed from prisoners at the jail since 2020.

In a report published earlier this month, inspectors slammed the 'appalling' state of the crumbling 113-year-old jail and highlighted the ‘almost impossible’ working conditions - and called for it to be replaced.

Sheriff Craig Findlater called for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared before sentencing Hand, from Dalry, and the case was adjourned until August 16.