HMP Lindholme: Smuggling gang jailed after drugs found inside prison officer's Pot Noodle

The six-year investigation was carried out by South Yorkshire Police’s prison anti-corruption unit and has now seen a group of a dozen people handed sentences which total more than 25 years behind bars.

The group, which included inmates and a prison officer at HMP Lindholme in Doncaster as well as their loved ones, helped to smuggle MDMA, steroids, spice, cannabis, mobile phones and other banned items into the prison between August 2018 and July 2019.

The complex criminal network unravelled when Victoria Sked, who was just days away from leaving her job with the prison service, had her bag searched and two cling film packages were found inside an open Pot Noodle.

The packages were found to have contained what was thought to be cannabis.

Further searches of her person were carried out and she was discovered to be in possession of MDMA, psychoactive substances, more cannabis, vials of steroids, mobile phones, tobacco and a SIM card.

Her home was then searched and officers found a huge stash of illicit articles, including 17 mobile phones, 332 sheets of Spice paper, five iPhones, five wraps of cannabis and almost £8,000 in cash.

Her arrest led police to Ayesha Martin, who is the girlfriend on inmate Simie McGinley. CCTV footage showed Martin arrived at Sked’s home with packages and then leaving without them on seven separate occasions.

A search in prison led to the discovery of four mobile phones hidden inside a DVD player. One of them was linked to Robert Williams who had been involved in drug supply within the prison.

As the criminal web untangled, several other people were linked to the smuggling. Gareth Roberts was investigated and implicated for drug smuggling alongside his partner Diane Monks who was caught trying to smuggle spice into the prison during a visit in November 2018.

Another inmate, Jack McGlen, and his partner Alicia Harrison were also investigated and deemed to have been involved in the criminal network. Financial work linked Harrison to multiple HMP Lindholme inmates and showed she was involved in money laundering, with phone work showing McGlen was running a drug selling operation inside the prison.

Three other external associates were also deemed to have been involved in the conspiracy to supply illegal drugs.

A total of 10 of the defendants were sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday (Dec 6);

1. Gareth Roberts, 38, of Manor Farm Drive, Leeds (HMP Lindholme inmate at the time of offending): Drug smuggling (cannabis and Spice) and possession of a prohibited article (mobile phone) – jailed for three-and-a-half years
2. Robert Williams, 35, of Brignall Garth, Leeds (HMP Lindholme inmate at the time of offending): Drug smuggling (cannabis and Spice) and possession of a prohibited article (mobile phone) – jailed for one year and 10 months
3. Victoria Sked, 32, of HMP New Hall (prison officer): Drug smuggling (cannabis, steroids, MDMA and Spice), money laundering, and smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison – jailed for three years and 11 months
4. Ayesha Martin, 30, of Baring Gould Way, Wakefield (partner to McGinley): Drug smuggling (cannabis, Spice and steroids), money laundering, and smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison – jailed for three-and-a-half years
5. Simie McGinley, 30, of HMP Stocken Hall (HMP Lindholme inmate at the time of offending): Drug smuggling (cannabis, Spice and steroids), money laundering, smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison, and possession of a prohibited article (mobile phone) – jailed for one-and-a-half years
6. Jack McGlen, 33, of Woodbridge Lawn, Leeds (HMP Lindholme inmate at the time of offending): Drug smuggling (cannabis and steroids), money laundering, and possession of a prohibited article (mobile phone) – jailed for four years
7. Darren Morgan, 45, of Renee Close, Bradford (external associate): Drug smuggling (Spice), money laundering and possession of diamorphine and cocaine with intent to supply – jailed for four years and 10 months
8. Adam Kirk, 34, of Fir Tree Approach, Leeds (external associate): Drug smuggling (cannabis), dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, without insurance and while over the specified limit for drugs – jailed for two years and four months
9. Alicia Harrison, 27, of Woodbridge Crescent, Leeds (partner to McGlen): Drug smuggling (steroids) and money laundering – given a 21-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months
10. Abigail Carter, 24, of Alderley, Skelmersdale (sister to HMP inmate): Drug smuggling (cannabis) and money laundering – given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months

An eleventh defendant, Diane Monks, 46, of Highfield Villas, Leeds, was Roberts’ partner and pleaded guilty to smuggling cannabis and Spice. Her case was adjourned and she is due to be sentenced next Friday (13 December) at Sheffield Crown Court.

A twelfth defendant, Lydia Ratcliffe, 30, of Chestnut Grove, Leeds, was given a 12-month conditional discharge at Sheffield Crown Court in July 2024 after pleading guilty to causing a communication by contacting inmates on contraband phones from her mobile phone under Section 40D of the Prison Act 1952. She was found not guilty of a money laundering offence.

Detective Constable Scott Jarvis, who was the officer in charge , said: “This investigation has spanned over half a decade with hours of phone work, forensic analysis and financial enquiries carried out to dismantle this complex criminal network operating both inside and outside the prison.

“They all played their part in creating this elaborate web of drug smuggling and money laundering that they thought was intangible, and it is thanks to the hard work of this unit in bringing the conspirators of these crimes to justice.

“Today’s result is testament to the efforts of the unit, as well as specialists who have provided key knowledge and expertise to help us progress this case, and staff at HMP Lindholme who have supported us in our operations.

“Due to the complexities of our investigations, it can take a significant period of time for court cases to progress and for justice to be delivered but I want the public to know that we are never resting on our laurels.”

Detective Sergeant Gareth Gent, who heads up South Yorkshire Police’s Prison Anti-Corruption Unit, added: “Every day we work with prisons in Doncaster to tackle the drug and mobile phone smuggling, money laundering and other criminality that takes place within these establishments as we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

“Prisons should remain free of criminality and should provide an environment where people who have committed crimes can rehabilitate, and we will continue to work closely with the prison service to stamp out any behaviour that goes against these values.

“Our team remains steadfast in its dedication to eliminate criminality in our prisons and I hope today’s sentencing shows that anyone responsible for committing crimes in prisons will be dealt with by the full force of the law.”

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said: “We inherited prisons where drug-taking is rife, fuelled by the work of organised criminal gangs. If our prisons are to create better citizens and not better criminals, we must bear down on the illicit drugs trade.

“I would like to thank the police for their work, alongside the prison service’s Counter Corruption Unit, in bringing this gang to justice. While the overwhelming majority of our staff are brave and decent public servants, we work alongside the police to catch the minority who are not.”