A prisoner with a long criminal history was today jailed for a further 11 months after pleading guilty to instructing two women to supply heroin. The heroin was found hidden inside a banana. 

The court heard how Elaine Rapinett, 30, a prisoner for the past six years, asked Charlotte Vella and Juanita Grech to supply heroin and smuggle it into prison by hiding it in food supplied by relatives. 

On January 26, 2007, during a routine search on food being introduced into prison by 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 that the heroin was meant for another inmate, Philienne Ceci, but Ms Rapinett owned up with the police that she was the consignee. This was corroborated by Ms Grech who at a later stage admitted that Ms Rapinett had asked her to smuggle the heroin into prison. 

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 and of heroin possession since this charge was time-barred. 

In considering the punishment, Magistrate Galea Sciberras said Ms Rapinett was a repeat offender and noted how she had become "institutionalised" at the Corradino Correctional Facility. 

Her criminal record contained a long list of convictions on various crimes including thefts, aggravated thefts, handling stolen goods, causing slight injuries, fraud, breach of bail, simple possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis and twice convicted of heroin trafficking. 

For these crimes she had benefitted from three conditional discharges, two probation orders, two suspended sentences and various fines, some of which had been converted to jail time since they were not paid. She had also been jailed on six occasions. 

The court also took into consideration the fact that Ms Rapinett seemed to be making an effort while in jail by, among others, regularly going to the prison gym. It also noted that four urine samples given by Ms Rapinett since August 2013 tested negative to illicit substances. 

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

The court also drew the attention of the prison authorities that Ms Rapinett had nowhere to reside after serving her time in jail, urging them to address this problem and facilitate her integration after her release.