A grandmother has admitted she hid drugs in her private parts and bra to smuggle them into the maximum-security Edmonton Institution and give them to her inmate son.

However, Linda Ethal Sheridan, 62, is denying she is guilty of drug trafficking charges and she intends to testify in her own defence that gangsters forced her to do it.

On Monday, Sheridan pleaded not guilty in Court of Queen’s Bench to possession of cannabis resin for the purpose of trafficking, possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of hydromorphone for the purpose of trafficking.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Sheridan was scheduled for a three-day private family visit with her son Nathan at Edmonton Institution on July 22, 2013.

Federal prosecutor Monique Dion told court that Sheridan and her 10-year-old granddaughter, who is Nathan’s daughter, arrived at the prison about 2 p.m.

They were escorted into the prison to be searched by a drug detector dog before the visit and the dog indicated the presence of drugs, said Dion, adding that Sheridan was then detained and police were called.

Court heard that Sheridan asked permission to remove the items herself and she was taken to a bathroom where she removed three separate packages from her vagina and handed them to a corrections officer.

Each of the packages was wrapped in cellophane plastic and placed in a condom. One contained 5.8 grams of methamphetamine and 3.1 grams of heroin. The other two contained vials of cannabis resin, 4.9 grams and 4.2 grams.

Dion told court that Sheridan was then arrested and taken to police headquarters, where she was searched.

In her right bra cup, officers found 12 pills of 24 mg hydromorphone (a narcotic) in a plastic bag and six cigarettes wrapped in silver packaging in a plastic bag.

In her left bra cup, officers found five transdermal nicotine patches still in their packaging. Police also found a nicotine patch attached to the middle of her stomach and some toothpicks in her right back pants pocket.

Illicit drugs are sold for very inflated prices in prison and court heard the 9.1 grams of cannabis resin would have been worth $2,000 if successfully smuggled in. The hydromorphone pills would have had a value of $2,880, the methamphetamine would have had a value of $5,800 and the heroin would have had a value of $1,550.

According to Alberta Justice, Nathan Sheridan, 35, was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to housebreaking/commit aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm for a 2012 home invasion in Medicine Hat.

Sheridan, who has to constantly carry an oxygen tank around with her, is expected to testify that her son used to be involved in a street gang and that gangsters threatened to harm him if she didn’t agree to smuggle the drugs in.