HMP Lindholme: Pair jailed over plot to smuggle drugs into Yorkshire prison using drone
Two people have been jailed after police uncovered their role in a plot to smuggle drugs into a Yorkshire prison.
Jade Brannan, 35, and Ricky Smith, 39, as the pair were found to have conspired to bring contraband into HMP Lindholme in Doncaster.
An investigation was launched after a prison officer who was on patrol spotted a drone dropping a package containing drugs, SIM cards, mobile phones and charging cables onto the site in June 2022.
Detectives used data from the drone to track its flight path which led officers to Smith’s home in Ash Close, Leeds, where they found a drone controller and blades.
Forensic analysis of the drone also led them to Brannan, who was arrested at her home in Heath Rise, Leeds. Officers searched her home and found suspected drugs along with empty boxes of diazepam, pregabalin and USB sticks.
Smith’s mobile phone revealed chats in which he had offered the sale of drugs and had images of juice cartons, similar to that which had been spotted by the prison officer.
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Brannan and Smith both pleaded guilty to conspiring to bring List 'A' articles into HMP Lindholme, namely drugs, mobile phones and SIM cards.
Brannan admitted two counts of supplying a Class C drugs, with Smith pleading guilty to three counts of the same offence.
Smith also admitted three counts of throwing an article into a prison - twice at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire and once at HMP Lindholme.
Smith was given a three-year prison sentence while Brannan was jailed for two years and three months at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday (Oct 30).
Detective Constable Jonathan White, who is part of the North East Regional Prison Intelligence Unit, said: "Nationally, we have started to see a dramatic increase of drones incursions into our prison estates, and it has become a more frequently used way to get illicit contraband items into prisons.
"These activities fuel crime within prisons and threaten to derail the rehabilitation of offenders and their eventual reintegration back into society.
"In this instance, through working with various law enforcement agencies, we managed to gather a wealth of evidence against Brannan and Smith which pointed towards their involvement in this conspiracy to get contraband into HMP Lindholme, and their inevitable guilty pleas.
"We will not tolerate those threatening the safety of other prisoners and prison staff by attempting to do this and we will continue to work alongside His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service to disrupt this criminal behaviour and strengthen our united response to the threat of drones."