Man deliberately got caught shoplifting to smuggle former 'legal high' Spice into prison

Kevin Hancock told police he had deliberately got himself arrested for shoplifting so he could smuggle heroin and the psychoactive substance known as Spice into prison.

He was jailed for a year at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday(Tuesday) after admitting possession of a psychoactive substance with intent to supply, possession of a class A drug and shoplifting.

The 41-year-old, of no fixed abode, had originally been arrested for the shoplifting offence and the various drugs were found on him during a search.

It became illegal to sell, supply, import or export any psychoactive substances when new legislation was introduced last May.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Graham Bulmer, South Yorkshire Police's lead for drugs, said: “The whole point of the change in law was to clamp down on those supplying these dangerous substances by creating a blanket ban and limiting the opportunities for criminals to bypass the law.

“One of the main aspects of the change was to make it illegal to possess or supply psychoactive substances in prison and Hancock told officers that he’d deliberately got arrested for shoplifting so that he could make more money selling Spice in prison.

“This new legislation can only help us in our fight to protect and educate vulnerable people about illegal and untested substances and punish those, like Hancock, who use psychoactive substances for their own gain."

How Hancock was caught

Hancock was seen acting suspiciously at the Tesco store on Drummond Street in Rotherham at around 1.20pm on June 15.

He was seen stealing a bottle of whisky and caught on CCTV handing small tablets to two other men before all three consumed the tablets.

Police were called to the store and Hancock was arrested for shoplifting and taken into custody where he was searched.

Officers found a quantity of heroin inside a kinder egg and Hancock was arrested for possession of a controlled drug.

Further searches resulted in other substances being found on Hancock, which after testing were confirmed as including Spice - a listed psychoactive active substance.

Changes to the law

The Psychoactive Substances Act made it illegal to supply, sell, import or export any psychoactive substances.

The law covers any substances which produce effects that mimic those of controlled drugs, but the most widely known of these is the synthetic cannabinoid Spice.

Now, anyone caught supplying or selling psychoactive substances could face up to seven years in prison.

Acting Det Chief Insp Bulmer said: “Previously, when a product was suspected as being a so-called ‘legal high’, it had to go through a lengthy testing process before it could be banned and classed as illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“As a result, manufacturers could alter the chemical composition for it to fall outside the law.

“Now, where a substance is suspected to produce a psychoactive effect, it is tested against a national database of products and in this case, the product proved to be Spice triggering the new sentencing guidelines.

“I hope this case sends a strong message to anyone who is thinking about supplying psychoactive substances that South Yorkshire Police does not and will not tolerate any form of controlled drug supply.”