A glamorous Harrods sales girl, who abandoned her modeling career after falling pregnant, sneaked a mobile phone to her criminal boyfriend as he sat in a Crown Court dock.
Holly Salter, 22, of Buckingham Road, Hampton, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to conveying an article to a prisoner, namely a mobile phone, to inmate James Kerr, 20, on July 4, last year at Harrow Crown Court.
“She was in a relationship with Mr. Kerr who incessantly asked for the phone and she felt pressured,” said Miss Sarah Turnoch, defending. “He had been in prison for five months up until that day and she thought it was also a way she could keep in contact with him.”
Kingston Crown Court heard Salter, a Miss Selfridge model and Miss London finalist, was seen by dock officers handing over the pay-as-you-go phone during a preliminary hearing.
She was arrested a few weeks later by police and said nothing when quizzed. Kerr, who had been arrested on robbery and burglary charges, was later caged for five years.
The 35-25-33 model (pictured above) is represented by top showbiz agents Atmosphere Entertainments and All Star Acts and Artists.
She has played bit part roles in film and television and appeared in commercials and pop videos.
“It was her own phone she had in court for her own use and was a spontaneous decision to give in to the requests Mr. Kerr was making from the dock,” explained Miss Turnoch. “She did not realize the seriousness of what she was doing.”
Kerr is not the father of her fifteen week-old baby daughter Poppy, who is brought up single-handedly by Salter.
“An immediate custodial sentence would be disastrous,” added the lawyer. The maximum penalty for smuggling a phone to a prisoner is two years imprisonment.
“She is on maternity leave now. She works as a sales girl in Harrods. Her employment would be something she would lose if she was sent to prison today.”
The last contact Salter had with her daughter’s father was a text message three weeks ago.
Sentencing her to three and a half month’s imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, Recorder Richard Bruce told tearful Salter: “The introduction of mobile phones into court cells and prisons puts pressure on other prisoners, allows prisoners to contact witnesses in their cases and acts as a form of currency.
“I accept you may have committed this offence while under considerable pressure from your boyfriend,” added Recorder Bruce. “When I first saw this indictment I believed an immediate custodial sentence was inevitable, but due to your new circumstances it can be suspended.”
He also ordered Salter to perform 120 hours unpaid community service work.
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