January 4, 2018 11.17 am This story is over 73 months old

Man jailed for throwing drugs over walls of Lincoln Prison

He threw two packages containing cocaine, ecstasy and synthetic cannabis.

A man who threw packages of drugs over the wall into Lincoln Prison has been jailed for two years.

Charles Smith was caught on CCTV security cameras as he threw two packages containing cocaine, ecstasy and synthetic cannabis.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that one of the packages was found by a member of staff and the other was handed to staff by a prisoner.

Mr Scott said: “The police had set up cameras around the prison to capture this type of activity.

“Smith was filmed walking down the access road at the side of the prison. He stepped back and threw a package over the wall. 20 seconds later he threw another package over the wall.”

The court was told that cocaine and ecstasy had a value inside prison of ten times what they were worth outside.

The drugs in total were worth up to £2,870 if sold within the jail.

Smith’s fingerprints were found on the packages and he was also identified from the CCTV security film.

Mr Scott said: “He was arrested and gave a no comment interview.”

Smith, 32, of Earlesfield Lane, Grantham, admitted two charges of conveying a banned article into prison as a result of the incident on December 17, 2016.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him: “Throwing drugs into a prison is a very serious offence. In this part of the world it is prevalent.

“There are a large number of cases that come before these courts of people doing exactly as you have accepted you did. Plainly it is so serious that only a sentence of immediate custody can be imposed.”

Alasdair Campbell, in mitigation, said Smith had got himself into debt with a loan shark and it was suggested to him he could reduce the amount he owed if he agreed to get the drugs into the prison.

Mr Campbell said: “He had a £10,000 gambling debt from betting on horses. He repaid that by borrowing the money from people and those were the people he owed.

“The people he owed money to had visited the houses of his mother and his children chasing the debts.

“He received a call from somebody who had videoed his children and his ex-partner outside their property.

“On December 17 these people visited him at his home and told him that if he threw the packages over the wall the debt would be reduced.”