A woman has been sentenced to six months in prison for buying and attempting to supply drugs to her imprisoned husband.
29-year-old Samantha Ferrell, along with her husband Martin Ferrell and prison healthcare worker Barrington Barnes have been convicted following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s London Prison Anticorruption Team (LPAT).
Mr Ferrell was approached in prison by health care worker Barrington Barnes who offered to supply him with cannabis. Mrs Ferrell then contacted Barnes and to supply the drugs to give to her husband. He then handed the cannabis over to Mr Ferrell.
In addition to the cannabis, packages containing class C drugs as well as unorthodox materials such as SIM cards, mobile phones and a lock knife were found hidden in a bin liner in the prison’s medical treatment room. Barnes’ fingerprints were found on the items.
Barnes was sentenced to three years imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to bring a ‘List A’ articles – namely cannabis, Mesterolone and Stanozolol – into prison and one count of conspiracy to bring ‘List B’ articles – items including mobile phones, SIM cards, and USB leads – into prison, contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Martin Farrell was sentenced to 12 month’s imprisonment for conspiracy to bring a ‘List A’ article – cannabis – into a prison.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Robert Hinson of LPACT, said: “This case demonstrates that if employees of Her Majesty’s prisons traffic contraband into prisons, they will be brought to justice. This case should serve as a warning to any prison officer and employee within the prison estate who engage in illegal activities with prisoners and their family members.”
