by Keith Hunt

A lonely mother who agreed to smuggle drugs into a prisoner after they met on a dating site has been saved from prison by her young children.

Sanderjit Dhillon, 40, went to court without telling her four children where she was going and that she faced the prospect of being put behind bars.

A judge told her: “It is an unattractive feature that they don’t know what you are doing today. It is against you because it smacks of blackmail to the court. But if you don’t look after these children, nobody will.”

He went on to suspend an eight-month sentence for 18 months with supervision.

Dhillon, of Forest Hill, South-East London, admitted conveying a prohibited article into prison.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the mother resorted to online dating when she feared going out because of an abusive neighbour.

Adrian Rohard, defending, said: “She stayed in and became something of a prisoner in her own home. She started going on dating sites.

“Heaven knows how a prisoner goes on a dating site, but there it is.

"She explained her circumstances. He said when he got out of prison he could sort it out for her.”

"heaven knows how a prisoner goes on a dating site, but there it is"– adrian rohard, defending dhillon

She agreed to take skunk cannabis into Swaleside Prison in Sheppey on March 28 after he claimed he was having a tough time there.

Gary Pons, prosecuting, said Dhillon’s behaviour aroused suspicion during the visit. A prison officer followed her to the toilet and saw her place an object in her mouth.

Her mouth was bulging and 4.91g of the drug was recovered. Told she would be strip-searched, she pulled another 4.96 grams from her knickers.

“I was told to bring it in,” she said.”It was arranged through the internet. I have never met him before.”

Mr Rohard said the inmate had exploited Dhillon’s vulnerability. She had been living in Barnet, North London, and been pestered by her ex-boyfriend. A neighbour was being abusive to her.

Two of her children, aged 10 and 13, were at home. A daughter, aged 20, was at university in Surrey.

“She was disowned by her family because of a relationship with a Muslim. She is a Sikh. Her children do not know she faces the prospect of prison.

“If she does not go home, it will be the first time her children will be aware. The inevitable consequence is they will go into care. She would likely lose her accommodation.”

Mr Rohard added: “She has not been on any dating sites since.”

Judge Charles Macdonald QC said the circumstances were “rather sad”.

“You have a history of being abused in relationships,” he told Dhillon, who works part-time at Marks & Spencer. “You are a Sikh and you associated with a Muslim man.

“You have had sustained attacks on your self-esteem. You did your best to escape this by moving. Unfortunately, you were prevailed upon to take these articles into prison on that one day.

“Taking prohibited drugs into prison remains a serious offence. If guidelines suggest it should be dealt with by a community order, I don’t follow it.

“It undermines prison discipline and provides currency and traffick in prison. On the other hand, there is a lot of mitigation here.

“By far the most important point which influences me is you are the sole carer of two children aged 10 and 13.”