The banana contained 2.09 grams of heroin.

A career criminal for whom two women tried to smuggle heroin in prison by hiding it in a banana yesterday had her stay at Corradino Correctional Facility extended by a further 11 months.

Elaine Rapinett, 30, a prisoner for the past six years who has a long criminal history, admitted to instructing Charlotte Vella and Juanita Grech to supply heroin and smuggle it into prison by hiding it in food supplied to inmates by relatives.

The court heard that, on January 26, 2007, during a routine search on food being introduced into prison by inmates’ relatives, officials found a cardboard tube containing 2.09 grams of heroin hidden inside a banana.

Ms Grech, who was trying to smuggle the drug into prison, told investigators the heroin was meant for inmate Philienne Ceci but Ms Rapinett admitted it was for her. This was corroborated by Ms Grech who, at a later stage, admitted that Ms Rapinett had asked her to smuggle the heroin in.

Ms Rapinett said she was planning to share the heroin with other inmates.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras found Ms Rapinett guilty of enticing others to deal in drugs but cleared her of smuggling the heroin into prison.

The court heard that Ms Rapinett had become “institutionalised” in prison. Her criminal record contained a long list of convictions for theft, handling of stolen goods, fraud, breaching bail and possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis. She was twice convicted of trafficking heroin.

She had benefitted from three conditional discharges, two probation orders, two suspended sentences and various fines, some of which had been converted into jail terms because they remained unpaid. She had also been jailed in six cases.

The court took into consideration the fact that Ms Rapinett seemed to be making an effort to improve by regularly going to the prison gym. It was also noted that urine samples since August 2013 tested negative to drugs.

In view of the progress registered, Magistrate Galea Sciberras said Ms Rapinett deserved a punishment that was close to the minimum prescribed by law and so sentenced her to 11 months in jail and fined her €800. She also ordered her to pay €800 in court expenses.

The court drew the attention of the prison authorities to the fact that Ms Rapinett had nowhere to reside after serving her time in jail, urging them to address the matter.