Judge accuses phone-smuggling mother-of-four of getting pregnant again to avoid prison... then gives her a suspended sentence anyway!
A judge accused a mother of getting pregnant again to avoid prison in an extraordinary blast over her failure to use contraception.
Tanya Parker, 36, helped smuggle steroids, mobile phones and tobacco into a jail six years ago as part of her crook husband David Bradley's plan while he was in jail himself.
But the pair's sentencing hearing took an unexpected twist as barrister Cathlyn Orchard, defending Parker, confirmed the defendant was between six to seven weeks pregnant.
Visibly astonished Judge Dean Kershaw replied: "Are you seriously telling me that? Knowing the position these two are in, she's pregnant again?"
He continued: "She understands there's something called contraception, having a child knowing the position both of them are in."
Ms Orchard, who had stated the pregnancy was 'unplanned', replied saying that contraception 'doesn't always work' prompting the judge to question as to whether Parker had used any – and suggest that she was attempting to 'manipulate' the sentencing process.
The court heard the couple, from Coventry, West Midlands, already have four children together and were childhood sweethearts.
The barrister said: "I haven't gone into that detail. She is not wanting to be pregnant and she is conflicted in saying that because she is going to keep the child. It couldn't have come at a worse time."
Judge Kershaw responded at the hearing on Thursday: "It all smacks to me it is another thing she is mentioning to avoid custody.'
After briefly speaking with Parker in the dock Ms Orchard told the court: "She wasn't taking the pill and doesn't know why.
"It wasn't to try and get pregnant or to manipulate."
In reply Judge Kershaw said: "What did she possibly think - having had children - happens? That some angel would come down and stop her getting pregnant?
"It looks to me she is trying in some way to manipulate the process thinking this will be extra mitigation. It won't. It won't work with me."
He went on to point out the numerous lies Parker had told about her involvement in the 2019 HMP Birmingham contraband racket and rejected a claim she was untruthful due to 'panic'.
Judge Kershaw told Birmingham Crown Court he was not trying to 'tell people how to lead their lives privately, personally and sexually', but he added: "I am utterly shocked someone in her position could have allowed herself to be in that position she is in now."
Ms Orchard went on to say Parker had been put under 'enormous pressure' and placed in an 'impossible situation' at the time by Bradley, who she had been with since the age of 16.
He had been remanded in custody at the time for a number of domestic and commercial burglaries, which involved ripping ATM machines from walls.
Bradley was later handed lengthy terms of imprisonment.
In his sentencing remarks Judge Kershaw took a further swipe at Parker's life choices and said: "It's not for me to comment but you were in a relationship with someone you knew who was a man who had chosen in 2018 to go into people's homes and steal.
"You have chosen that's someone you want to be with and you have children."
He added: "You chose your relationship over the safety of the prison. That's the reality of what happened."
Ultimately, he decided not to jail Parker concluding 'the public do not need protection from you'.
Parker admitted two offences of conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prison. She was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
Judge Kershaw concluded Bradley, aged 34, had abused his partner's loyalty, adding he was the 'leading light' of the scheme.
But he took into account he had already served a lengthy term behind bars and had shown he could 'lead a good and productive' life since his release in October.
Bradley, who admitted the same two offences as his wife as well as a charge relating to having a phone in prison, was sentenced to 24 months suspended for 18 months.
He was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
The couple had used corrupt prison guard Christopher Lawley to physically smuggle the contraband into HMP Birmingham.
The 43-year-old of Bexley Grove, West Bromwich had admitting three offences of conveying or conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison.
He was sentenced to two years and two months at hearing in May this year.
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