Family busted helping smuggle drug into jail for inmate

THE 24-year-old will spend extra time behind bars for bringing drugs into the prison while already serving a term for trafficking.

SUPPLY CHAIN: Ricky Magee, from Lismore, will spend extra time behind bars after arranging to have buprenorphine brought into a NSW correctional centre.

HE was already serving a prison term for drug supply.

But being behind bars didn't stop Ricky Magee.

The 24-year-old, from Lismore, was serving a four-and-a-half year prison term at South Coast Correctional Centre when he incited others to help him bring restricted drug buprenorphine - used to treat heroin addiction - into the prison.

Magee faced Lismore District Court via video link for sentencing on Friday.

His solicitor, Tom Ivey, told the court he and Crown prosecutor Clare Magni were "perhaps at loggerheads in terms of the sophistication of the matter".

Reports had found Magee would be suitable for a period of supervision and Mr Ivey said his client was "perhaps... not a lost cause" in terms of being rehabilitated.

Magee had urged his brother, Corey Magee, father, Mark Magee, uncle David Anderson and another associate Sean Blazley at various stages to help him bring the drug, known informally as bupe, into the prison.

This involved mailing the drug to someone outside of the prison, who then arranged for it to be smuggled in.

Ms Magni said although the amounts of bupe involved weren't large, his actions were serious.

"He's in custody for trafficking to a substantial degree," she said.

"He then rings his friends and associates on the outside for them to source a prescription drug which is also a prohibited drug."

The court heard Magee had most likely planned to on-sell the drug to fellow inmates.

"He's a convicted inmate, who had a very limited ability to commit further drug offences," she said.

"But he still found a way to commit further drug offences."

The court heard one of the deliveries was intercepted when authorities found bupe and tobacco in a woman's bra at the facility in December, 2017.

On at least one occasion, Magee acknowledged having received packages, the court heard.

Judge Mark Williams afforded Magee a 25 per cent discount on his sentence for his relatively early guilty pleas.

He acknowledged Magee's family background was marked by chronic addiction and neglect from education and other childhood needs.

He said there was "an element of sophistication" to the offending, "guarded prospects of rehabilitation" and "no evidence of remorse".

He sentenced Magee to one year and three months' prison with a non-parole period ending on January 20 next year.