Mental health nurse who worked at Yorkshire prison among gang jailed for conspiracy to smuggle drugs and mobile phones inside

A nursing assistant and others who played a part in the largest ever drug and weapon prison smuggling conspiracy in the UK have been handed jail sentences themselves.
Grace Newton
By Grace Newton
Published 27th Oct 2023, 15:06 BST
Updated 27th Oct 2023, 15:06 BST

Amy Hatfield, a 38-year-old mental health nursing assistant, and the other conspirators smuggled over £1million worth of drugs, knives and mobile phones into the grounds of HMP Lindholme in Doncaster.

A four-year investigation started in 2019, when Hatfield was arrested as she arrived for work. In her possession, officers found MDMA, bags of ketamine, spice paper, vials of testosterone, anabolic steroids, mobile phones, phone accessories, tobacco and other prescription drugs. She also had four Ribena bottles with her, which contained around two litres of liquid Spice. This alone was estimated by prison experts to be worth over £1million.

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Over the following months and years, officers unravelled a highly complex criminal network operating inside HMP Lindholme, leading to Hatfield and a further 16 co-conspirators being charged and convicted – some of them prisoners and others family and friends of those inside.

Drug use increased at HMP LIndholme after Amy Hatfield, from Barnsley, began working there in 2018Drug use increased at HMP LIndholme after Amy Hatfield, from Barnsley, began working there in 2018
Drug use increased at HMP LIndholme after Amy Hatfield, from Barnsley, began working there in 2018

Hatfield, of Barnsley, who had worked at the jail since 2018, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, conspiracy to convey drugs into prison, conspiracy to convey phones into prison, conveying knives into prison and money laundering. She was sentenced to a total of 10 years and two months in prison.

One of those who recruited her into the scheme was Joseph Whittingham, 35, a HMP Lindholme inmate with whom she had an inappropriate relationship. Whittingham, from Bradford, involved his wife Lucy, 37, and father Paul, 59, also of Bradford and both were given suspended sentences, while Joseph will now serve a further 11 years behind bars.

Others from Yorkshire who were jailed include Kora Haley, 30, of Holme Lane, Bradford (three years); Aneeze Williamson, 30, (five years) and Natalie Williamson, 35, of West Royd Drive, Shipley (12 months).

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Six of those sentenced were HMP Lindholme inmates at the time who were running a drugs supply operation for other prisoners. Orders were placed through ‘dealers’ Joseph Whittingham, Jordan Needham 31, Kieran Murphy, 26, Anthony Campbell, 38, and Aneeze Williamson.