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Gang jailed over prison drug smuggling racket
Four people have been jailed for a conspiracy that smuggled cannabis, ketamine and spice into prisons across the UK. The group exploited the process for forwarding prisoners’ belongings during transfers, using false parcels to get drugs into jails.
Brandon Horne, 23, received four years and Kieran Murphy, 30, six years; both pleaded guilty to drug offences. Lydia Pinnington, 28, was jailed for five and a half years, and Michelle Midgley, 48, for 32 months. Drugs were concealed in items including hot dog tins, mouthwash, washing powder, biscuit packets, coffee sachets and noodles.
In short
- Four people were jailed for a prison drug-smuggling conspiracy.
- False parcels exploited the system for transferring inmates’ belongings.
- Drugs were hidden in everyday food and household products.
Explained simply
Prisoners moving between jails may have personal belongings sent on to them, creating a route for parcels to enter prisons. In this case, false parcels were used to hide cannabis, ketamine and spice among ordinary food and household items.
The four people jailed were Brandon Horne, Kieran Murphy, Lydia Pinnington and Michelle Midgley. The case matters because drugs smuggled into prisons can affect people in custody and make it harder for prisons to maintain safety and order.
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