Prison officer caught accidentally taking 15 Dianabol tabs into the jail he worked at.

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.