These criminals were put behind bars after they were caught smuggling drugs into jails in the North West.
First time offenders and career criminals are just some of the people on this list who chose to break the law and get prohibited items, such as drugs, into prisons. Prison officers were also caught handling class A and C drugs, despite having a duty of "putting public service above personal interest", according to the the Civil Service code.
Some gave a thumbs up as they were jailed to a considerable amount of time behind bars, while others ranted on social media about there being "no evidence".
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Here's a list of six criminals who were caught smuggling drugs into prisons.
Peter Hughes
Peter Hughes, a 32-year-old prison officer from Tranmere was seen on CCTV entering HMP Liverpool carrying a "bulging holdall" full of drugs prior to his shift starting in the early hours of April 25, 2020. He was seen entering a prisoner's cell and then leaving 20 seconds later with an empty bag.
This came after staff at the prison noticed an increase in drugs inside the jail. Cell searches were carried out at one of the wings and staff uncovered numerous prohibited items, including mobile phones, SIM cards, spice drug, steroids and tobacco.
Following the analysis of CCTV, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit launched an investigation into Hughes. This led to the 32-year-old being arrested at his home address on April 28, 2020.
During a search of his house, officers recovered a large number of steroids, needles, syringes, wipes and a quantity of cash. On Friday, May 12, the former prison officer was jailed for four years at Liverpool Crown Court following a joint investigation between the NWROCUs anti-corruption Unit, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s Counter Corruption Unit, and HMP Liverpool.
Hughes pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, possession of class C drugs with intent to supply, and conveying class C drugs into HMP Liverpool while he worked as a prison officer at HMP Liverpool between October 9, 2017 and April 28, 2020. The 32-year-old spent the money he made from smuggling drugs on multiple holidays, a £10,000 wedding, a hair transplant and breast surgery.
On Friday, May 12, the former prison officer was jailed for four years at Liverpool Crown Court.
Danielle McEllin and Jake Burns
Danielle McEllin, 35, and Jake Burns, 29, both of Monfa Road, Bootle, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to seven charges between them relating to bringing contraband into prisons using drones. Jake Burns pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to convey cannabis, phones, tobacco and cannabis resin into prison, between July 7 and August 2 last year.
His wife pleaded guilty to assisting and encouraging him to convey cannabis and cannabis resin, telephones, and tobacco into prisons, between the same dates. Burns pleaded guilty on the basis that he did not conspire with his wife, and that she did not know of his intentions, but did accept there was a proposed recipient of the contraband inside the two prisons.
Neil Bisarya, prosecuting, detailed that McEllin drove Burns to the vicinity of HMP Hindley and HMP Liverpool on various occasions so that he could pilot the drone and make the deliveries into prison. Mr Bisarya said: “Prison staff at HMP Liverpool have sighted a drone on 11th, 19th and 31st July and the police have found video footage from the drone seized at the defendants' address from 11th and 19th July.
“Prison staff at HMP Hindley also have CCTV footage from the 31st July 2022 of a drone entering the restricted airspace.”
McEllin’s car was spotted multiple times by police in the vicinity of the prison, with her behind the wheel and Burns in the passenger seat. The couple were arrested on August 1, after police executed a warrant at their address.
Burns was sentenced to three years imprisonment, and gave a thumbs up and said thanks to the judge when sentenced. McEllin was handed 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days, plus abide by a curfew for three months barring her from leaving home between 7pm and 7am.
Jake Watson
Jake Watson, 26, was caught red-handed hurling packages of ketamine and cannabis into HMP Altcourse on April 16, 2023. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, May 16, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
Prosecutor Joanne More told the court police had been called to the area by residents who reported a male was attempting to throw items over the wall of the prison. They found two packages containing 10.32g of cannabis, with a value of £131 to £197, and 32.4g of ketamine, with a value of £648 to just over £2,000.
Miss More said: "The defendant has accepted that he was doing this to make money. He was short of cash and this is why he was doing it."
The court heard that Watson, of Grantham Road, Kirkby, was convicted of a similar crime in 2021 after being caught firing packages of cannabis and tobacco into HMP Risley.
Sentencing Watson to nine months in prison, Judge Stuart Driver said: "In my opinion, appropriate punishment can only be achieved through immediate custody, and there is neither strong mitigation nor a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."
Megan Woodham
Megan Woodham used her job to conceal the shipments of drugs, which she then handed over to inmate Daniel Doran. She also used her home as the "safehouse" for a wider ring involved in the supply of millions of pounds of cocaine, members of which were handed lengthy spells behind bars at Liverpool Crown Court.
A trial previously heard Doran - of Hall Lane in Kirkby - was a serving prisoner at HMP Risley in Warrington between December 2021 and February 2022, with Woodham having been employed as a health worker in the jail. David Watson, prosecuting, described how they - together with co-defendants Kelsey Higgins and John Butler - were "involved in the supply of a very large quantity of high purity cocaine".
The inmate had access to a mobile phone while behind bars and "organised the moving of cocaine from location to location" from his cell "under the noses of authorities". Woodham was said to have "formed some sort of relationship" with the 32-year-old through her work and would "willingly assist him by allowing her home address to be used for the storage of parcels" of drugs.
Woodham, now of Ormskirk Road in Pemberton, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine. She burst into tears after being jailed for six years then turned to members of her family in the public gallery and said: "I love you."
She had earlier ranted on Facebook that there was "absolutely no evidence whatsoever".
Paul Heap
Crack cocaine and cannabis were found hidden inside orange juice cartons when prison officer Paul Heap was searched on his way into HMP Altcourse. The drugs were said to be worth more than £200,000.
Heap was arrested in June 2017 when officers behind a top-level probe into drugs supply at the Fazakerley jail swooped on the 43-year-old as he entered work. Operating on intelligence gathered by a joint police and prison service investigation, he was stopped and searched at the G4S-run facility after entering the prison when he was due to be on a sick day.
A rucksack he was carrying was found to contain crack cocaine, cocaine, and cannabis valued at £215,000 hidden inside the cartons of juice. Heap told police he had been pressured, though not directly threatened, into his part in the plot by a prisoner who he did not name.
Heap, a prison officer of 15 years, was sentenced by Judge David Aubrey, QC, after admitting 11 charges - seven of possession with intent to supply drugs, three of "conveying" prohibited items and a single count of money laundering.
Jailing him for nine years, Judge Aubrey said: "What you were doing, by your pleas of guilty, was to contrive to aggravate and exacerbate the very issues you were employed to seek, control and prevent. You had, in effect, changed sides. You had changed to the other side, the dark side."
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