Woman who smuggled drugs into prisons jailed

A woman who previously worked as a Health Care Assistant at Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital has been jailed for smuggling drugs into prisons across the country.

Laura Horton, of Gloucester Road, Aldershot, was sentenced following an investigation by prison intelligence officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), in partnership with HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption Unit.

The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of conveying a List A article into prison, one count of concealing criminal property, and one count of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug on no fewer than 20 occasions.

Horton was sentenced to a total of two years and two months’ imprisonment at Reading Crown Court for the above offences.

Head of SEROCU Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Boniface said:

“Supplying drugs, such as Spice, into the prison estate has a devastating impact. It is responsible for prisoners’ ill health, serious violence and on occasion has led to deaths.

“Laura Horton would have been aware of this impact having worked within Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital, where security measures are similar to mainstream prisons. She chose, however, to willingly supply Spice into prisons across the country using methods to avoid detection and abuse the privacy rules afforded to legally privileged material.

“This case also demonstrates the collaborative work between SEROCU’s Prison Team and HMPPS, and we will continue to work together to detect and prevent crime in the prison system.”