A PRISON officer was yesterday warned he could be jailed for taking drugs into a young offenders’ institution.

Garry Wilkinson says he was unaware he had the steroids when he was caught with them in his possession at Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution, near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Wilkinson made his admission on his first appearance at Durham Crown Court in relation to the incident, for which he has remained suspended from his job for the past three months.

Although it was only a preliminary hearing, Wilkinson’s barrister, David Comb, asked for the charge to be put to his client.

The 39-year-old officer pleaded guilty to taking a prohibited item, namely 15 methandienone dianabol tablets, into a prison establishment, on September 9.

Mr Comb said he made his guilty plea on a basis agreed with the prosecution.

He said: “The Crown accepts he entered a prison, Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution, with 15 Class C body-building steroids and they accept this was due to mere inadvertence that he had them in his possession.”

Following the admission, Judge Christopher Prince said he was considering sentencing Wilkinson at yesterday’s hearing.

But, after further consideration, he said: “I think I’m going to dwell on this case.

“There is a responsibility placed on prison officers not to take drugs into prisons, inadvertently or otherwise.

“It’s going to take me a little while to think what the appropriate sentence should be in this case.

“Your case is adjourned until January and a pre-sentence report will be compiled in the meantime.

“You must co-operate in the preparation of that.

“Prison officers are under a strict duty not to take drugs of any type into a prison environment and you have pleaded guilty that you did so, on the basis it was done inadvertently.

“It’s a most unusual case and you are in danger of being sent to prison for this offence. You must be aware of that.”

Wilkinson, of Davy Street, Ferryhill, County Durham, was bailed to return for sentence on January 6.