Beauticians 'pressured' to smuggle drugs at festival spared jail time

Two beauticians who tried to smuggle £6,500 worth of drugs into Creamfields have avoided prison after a judge accepted they were 'pressured' into acting as mules by members of their group.

Erin Hobdell, 21, was caught with 42 knotted plastic bags containing cocaine, and ecstasy tablets hidden in her waistband whilst Kira McNicol, 23, had 143 Ecstasy tablets secreted in her vagina.

The pair had travelled 230 miles from their homes in Scotland to attend Creamfields festival in Runcorn, Cheshire in 2022 with a group of their friends.

When questioned the friends claimed they were persuaded to take the drugs into the event by the rest of the coach party and insisted they were not planning to sell the drugs.

The court heard Hobdell had 26.1 grams of cocaine worth up to £4,100, 2.43 grams of MDMA powder, also containing ketamine, valued at up to £400 and 96 MDMA tablets worth £960. McNicol had 143 tablets secreted inside her person worth £1,490.

At Chester Crown Court, Hobdell of Crookston, Glasgow pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to supply class A drugs cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) and class B drug ketamine and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

McNicol, from Prestwick, South Ayrshire pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA with intent to supply and was sentenced to 18 months jail suspended for 18 months.

Both women sobbed in the dock as they were also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and had faced four years jail under sentencing guidelines.

In sentencing Judge Steven Everett told the women: 'You were on the same bus and you were both separately prevailed upon by a group of other persons. 

'At least one of you mentioned them as friends - they were no friends of yours that's for sure.

'At some time you received your tickets for Creamfields and I know you would have received other information which shows what happens to people who attempt to take drugs into Creamfields. 

'Many have gone to prison and their lives have been completely changed because they did not see the seriousness of what they were doing.

'Two people to my knowledge have died from taking drugs at Creamfields. 

'It underlines this is not just taking tablets to enhance your experience of music that you dance to. It is something doing your body real harm and may kill you.

'You were each engaged by pressure, I recognise that and I am prepared to accept it was because of naivety. 

'You had no or a limited expectation of financial advantage. Clearly each of you was pressured to carry drugs in. Each intoxicated to some extent. 

'You were drinking on the bus, what some might say is an aggravating feature rather than a mitigating factor but each of you ultimately admitted what you did.

'But each of you had to wait for the best part of 18 months before you were charged. That is a real factor as the evidence was clear cut from the start. 

'It is unacceptable for someone to wait such a long time, perhaps even more so for a young person.

'It does not assist justice at all. This is justice delayed and ultimately it's a factor in your favour as you have since made real steps to turn your lives around.'

Earlier prosecutor John Oates said: 'On August 25, 2022 at Creamfields a sniffer dog indicated that Hobdell might be possession of drugs at the festival. 

'She immediately admitted that she had the drugs concealed and told police that she had been asked to bring them in.

'McNicol is a friend of Hobdell and she admitted that she had drugs in her vagina and had been asked to carry the drugs in. 

'It is accepted by the prosecution they were persuaded to take them in by a group of friends on the coach. Each was not the actual supplier but used by others to carry drugs. '

In mitigation defence counsel Miss Fiona McNeil, for Hobdell, said: 'She was 18 at the time of the offence and was prevailed upon by others. 

'She had no financial gain - she was misguided and foolish. But she had the presence of mind to know she had made an unwise decision and handed herself in.

'Clearly the proceedings have taken their toll on her emotionally. 'She lives with her maternal grandparents and her mother and is deeply ashamed to put them through this. 

'Long-term her actions may impact more severely as they are reliant on her for everyday household chores and tasks such as shopping and cleaning.

'She has been self-employed and it is clear she is considered to be at a low risk of re-offending.'

For McNicol, defence counsel Miss Lisa Judge said: 'Very obvious efforts were made by Miss McNicol at the scene to identify the perpetrator on the coach who convinced her stupidly to take the drugs into the Creamfields festival.

'He was actually pointed out and he was held upon leaving Creamfields - but there was no prosecution against him. 

'There were no drugs on him but a significant amount of money. She accepts that this will be a concern that this court has and a concern that the general public has generally - but that does not mean that every single case from Creamfields warrants a custodial sentence.'