Leeds pair jailed for plotting to smuggle drugs into Doncaster prison using a drone
The pair conspired to fly drugs into HMP Lindholme
Two people have been jailed over a plot to use drones to fly drugs into the grounds of HMP Lindholme in Doncaster.
35 year old Jade Brannan, of Heath Rise and 39 year old Ricky Smith, of Ash Close, will serve two years three months and three years respectively after admitting to bringing contraband into the Category C/D men's prison.
The pair also admitted to the supply of Class C drugs.
Smith also admitted three counts of throwing an article into a prison - twice at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire and once at HMP Lindholme.
They were arrested after a prison officer spotted a drone dropping a package into the grounds of the jail in June 2022, with the parcel containing drugs, SIM cards, charging cables and mobile phones.
Flight data from a drone ground at the scene led back to Smith's address, with forensic evidence linking Brannan to the crime.
A drone controller and blades were found at Smith's home, with messages on his phone showing him offering the sale of drugs.
Detective Constable Jonathan White, of South Yorkshire Police, 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."