A man tried to smuggle drugs into HMP Peterborough in a Mars Bar avoids immediate jail term

Domantas Sakinis, of no fixed address, visited HMP Peterborough on 27 August, 2017.

The 23-year-old aroused suspicion amongst the prison officers after not remembering who he was visiting when asked and appearing anxious.

When speaking to the prisoner during his visit, Sakinis appeared to get more and more nervous and his conversation was minimal with the other man.

His behaviour led to the prison officers escorting him to a private room at the end of visiting hours.

Sakinis was asked if he had anything in his possession, while his body language and facial expressions still seemed very nervous.

He then reached into his right trouser pocket and pulled out a Mars Bar. He claimed the chocolate wrapper contained cannabis, which was for his own use.

A prison officer opened the Mars where they discovered various small green sweets and six packets of tablets in sleeves.

Police arrived at the prison and the chocolate bar wrapper was handed over, where it was examined and found to contain 149 tablets of MDMA, a class A drug.

When interviewed, Sakinis claimed he acted under duress and was threatened by a man he didn’t know.

He was charged with attempting to supply a class A drug and pleaded guilty at a previous hearing in November at Cambridge Crown Court.

The plea was on the basis that he wasn’t aware the drugs were class A drugs, nor how many tablets there were, and he felt he had no other choice but to deliver the drugs due to fearing for his safety.

He was sentenced at the same court yesterday (14 January) where he was handed two years in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete a 50-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

DC Colin Avis, who investigated, said: “Sakinis was clearly trying to sneak drugs into HMP Peterborough but was caught red-handed thanks to prison officers who realised things didn’t seem quite right.

“We take these cases very seriously and we’ll continue to do everything in our power to bring those involved to justice.”