Visitor imprisoned for trying to sneak tobacco into Long Bay jail
Damir Hasanovic, 23, has been sent to prison for trying to smuggle tobacco into Long Bay Correctional Centre during a visit to see an inmate, with the magistrate labelling tobacco “the currency of jail”.
Southern Courier
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A visitor to Long Bay Correctional Centre has ended up behind bars himself for trying to smuggle tobacco to an inmate.
Damir Hasanovic, 23, from Regents Park, was sentenced at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday for trying to smuggle 12g of tobacco to a friend who was an inmate at the Malabar prison.
His friend was spotted trying to swallow the tobacco which had been stuffed into balloons during the visit on June 7.
Magistrate Greg Grogin sentenced Mr Hasanovic to a prison term of 10 months with a non-parole of six months after labelling tobacco “the currency of jail”.
“He has spent time in custody before he knows the value of tobacco in prison,” Mr Grogin said.
“Fights happen in jail because of inmates’ desire to obtain tobacco.
“If people like Mr Hasanovic think it is fine to deliver contraband to jail they are sorely mistaken.”
He added prisons existed to provide punishment and rehabilitation and contraband such as tobacco was kept away for good reason.
Up until 2015, inmates could still smoke in prisons in NSW but that has since been scrapped with no smoking allowed, including for staff and visitors.
Mr Hasanovic’s lengthy criminal history for his age was taken into consideration during the sentencing including a term of imprisonment in 2014 for robbery.
The agreed facts stated he visited Long Bay Correctional Centre during the morning of Friday, June 7 and met with an inmate in the main meeting area.
“The accused was sitting at a table with (his friend) and appeared to be having a conversation,” the facts read.
“The accused was then seen by staff at the location to hand over several small bags to (his friend who) attempted to swallow several small bags before spitting them out and trying again.”
However, he was unable to swallow them and the two men were separated.
Mr Hasanovic was detained and police arrived and arrested him.
His defence told the court Mr Hasanovic’s brother died of a drug overdose and that his partner was pregnant with their first child.
“He has come to the realisation following the death of his brother that he has an enormous responsibility to care for his parents and his partner and unborn child.”
He hugged his partner before being led away from the courtroom by security.
He is eligible for parole on February 27, 2020 following the sentencing for unlawfully bring anything into place of detention. He can appeal the sentence.
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