The mother of a “manipulative” Fife rapist could be jailed herself after she was caught trying to smuggle a mobile phone into Perth Prison, hidden inside her wheelchair.
Shona Alexander, whose son Steven Banks was caged for 11 years in October, surrendered the device when approached by suspicious prison staff.
The phone was inside a balloon, concealed in an Aero wrapper and hidden under her seat cushion.
As punishment, she has already been stopped from seeing her son for six months.
Alexander, 60, appeared in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted bringing the phone into the Edinburgh Road jail on December 14.
She will be sentenced next month and was told the offence would normally lead to imprisonment.
Prison search
Prosecutor Duncan McKenzie said Alexander, from Lochgelly, arrived at the jail to visit her son at around 2.20pm.
“She had been searched, over her clothing, by prison staff after she entered.
“Nothing was discovered at that time.
“Ms Alexander then went into an elevator unaccompanied.
“Detective constables, who were at the locus, approached the accused as she exited the lift.
“She was cautioned for the purposes of a full search.”
Alexander told police: “I might as well give you this.”
She then pulled an chocolate bar wrapper out from under her wheelchair cushion.
Mr McKenzie said staff carried out a search of her chair but nothing else was found.
“Within the Aero wrapper was a mobile phone in a balloon.
“Ms Alexander was arrested and taken to divisional headquarters in Dundee, where she was cautioned and charge.
“When interviewed, she was forthright with officers and said she had been asked to bring the phone into prison for her son.”
Blocked from seeing son
Solicitor Adam Scott, defending, urged the court to defer sentence for background reports, explaining his client has a range of medical difficulties.
“She and her husband are her son’s only visitors,” he said.
“After this incident, she was blocked from seeing him for six months.
“He is serving a significant sentence.”
Sheriff Derek Reekie said: “This was a significant error of judgement on her part.
“The problems with mobile phones in prisons is well known.
“This sort of offence would normally carry a custodial sentence.
“I think it would be best to get reports in these circumstances.”
Alexander will return to court for sentencing next month.
Perth Prison has recently installed landline phones in cells, to replace the state-issued mobiles that were distributed during the pandemic.
Last month, The Courier revealed prison bosses had “lost track” of many devices, despite an estate-wide amnesty.
Victim told to wear Rangers top
Banks, from Ballingry, was jailed for 11 years at the High Court in Stirling in October.
The 39-year-old, who has a previous conviction for dealing cocaine, denied the sex offences but was found guilty following trial in Livingston.
Jurors heard how he asked a schoolgirl to change into his Rangers top before raping her.
He went on to rape, sexually assault and attempt to rape another girl over a period of more than two years, beginning when he was 30 and she was only 10.
One of his victims told police he was “sly, manipulative and vindictive”.
The court heard that one of the rapes happened at Banks’ mother’s then-home in Ballingry in 2011.
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