A WOMAN who tried to smuggle drugs into a young offenders’ institution had the worst record the judge had ever seen.

Nicole Kitteridge, 46, was spared a prison sentence after being caught with two wraps of heroin and a legal high as she entered HMP Lancaster Farms.

But passing sentence recorder John Bromley-Davenport said: “I don’t think I have ever seen a woman’s record containing so many pages and so many offences.

“You have been a disgrace to yourself and others.”

Preston Crown Court heard Kitteridge, of Park Road, Bolton, was caught with the package strapped to her abdomen on October 3 2015.

When security staff at the prison tried to stop her she attempted to leave the building, saying: “Just bar me.”

She was arrested and pleaded guilty to taking a prohibited article into prison.

The court heard Kitteridge, who has 117 offences on her record, grew up in care and fell in with the new age traveller community as a teenager.

She started taking magic mushrooms and other drugs socially but only started taking heroin when she moved to Manchester.

She has now got a settled address for the first time, the court heard.

Judge Bromley-Davenport accepted she has no family and was under a degree of pressure when she took the drugs to HMP Lancaster Farms.

He told her: “It is a serious matter, the importation of drugs into prison. You know that was wrong.

“The amount you took was really very small but it is the fact you took it that is the serious aspect of this case.”

He handed Kitteridge a 12 month sentence but suspended it for two years on the condition she undertakes 4 days rehabilitation and does not commit any further offences.

He said: “It is up to you. If you want to spend the rest of your life in prison, go out and commit more offences.

“If you don’t, stop taking heroin. That is an offence in itself.

“All I can do is give you hope and encouragement, which I do by imposing a suspended sentence.”