TEARS ran down the face of a drug addict who was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” when she was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years behind bars. 

Corrie Jane Falconer-Smith, 37 of St Anns Close, Andover, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to kidnap. 

The single mother was arrested on 23 May last year following her involvement in a kidnapping.

Co-defendants Reece Harding and David Emmanuel Hill forced a man into her Renault Clio and held him at knifepoint before forcing him to buy a £5,000 ring for a London drug dealer.

During the five-hour ordeal, the car was driven to Winchester and back.
The 37-year-old, pictured, accepted her role as the driver during the incident which took place on 20 May 2017 but denied any further involvement.

The court heard she had driven to a bus stop with the sole intention of scoring drugs and that her son’s safety had been threatened if she did not comply with her co-defendants’ demands.

Prosecuting, Andrew Houston told the court Falconer-Smith claimed she had been threatened at knifepoint herself and had said to the victim “she was as much a victim as him”. 

Mr Houston said: “She could have been anyone making that trip to score drugs on that day, it just happened to be her.” 

A statement read to the court heard the incident had knocked the victim’s confidence and, being a shy man, it had made him “go into [his] shell”.

Defending Falconer-Smith, Tom Godfrey, said: “Her involvement was only through her fear of Harding.

“She claims that she was just following the instructions given to her and that was her only involvement. She appreciates the impact this has had.”

Mr Godfrey added: “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If it was any other drug user who would have taken the trip it would have been their car that was used.” 

As judge Keith Cutler CBE passed sentencing a clearly emotional Falconer-Smith began crying. 

Judge Cutler said: “This was a terrible ordeal which you found yourself mixed up in, but there is no doubt you were part of a three-person team. 

“I do concede that there was an element of compulsion on your part, but there were elements that you participated in this.” 

Falconer-Smith was sentenced to three years and six months for her involvement.

Harding, of Wandsworth was sentenced to 12 years in jail with five years extended licence when he appeared in Winchester Crown Court on Thursday, 8 March. Hill, of Turner Court, Andover, was sentenced to six years when he appeared on the same date.