December 7th 2024.
Victoria Sked, a 26-year-old woman, was recently caught in a criminal network that was smuggling drugs and phones into HMP Lindholme, a prison near Doncaster. She was working as a prison guard when she was arrested for trying to smuggle a Pot Noodle filled with cannabis into her workplace. This unlawful act has landed her in jail.
But that's not all. During her arrest, authorities discovered that Sked was also hiding more contraband on her person. This led to a thorough search of her belongings and they found even more illegal items such as MDMA, psychoactive substances, vials of steroids, mobile phones, tobacco, and a SIM card. Upon further investigation, the police also found incriminating pictures on her phone, showing various items like mobile phones, chargers, and Kinder Egg holders. This sparked an investigation that eventually led to the sentencing of 10 people.
The scheme, which involved Sked, inmates, and their relatives, was finally uncovered. However, it was discovered that they had been successfully smuggling prohibited items such as MDMA, steroids, spice, cannabis, and mobile phones into the prison between August 2018 and July 2019. To give you an idea of the scale of this operation, a search of Sked's home revealed a shocking amount of £7,900 in cash, 12 mobile phones, 332 sheets of spice paper, and cannabis. It was also discovered that there were financial ties between Sked and Ayesha Martin, whose boyfriend Simie McGinley was incarcerated at HMP Lindholme.
Further investigations revealed that accomplices like Robert Williams and Gareth Roberts were also involved in the supply of drugs within the prison. In fact, Roberts' partner, Diane Monks, was caught red-handed trying to smuggle spice into the prison during a visit in November 2018. Other inmates and their partners, such as Jack McGlen and Alicia Harrison, were also found to be involved in drug selling and money laundering as part of this criminal enterprise.
The web of this illegal operation involved several individuals, including co-conspirators Adam Kirk and Alicia Harrison. Three others were also implicated and eventually sentenced. Victoria Sked, now 32 years old and serving time at HMP New Hall, was given a sentence of three years and 11 months after pleading guilty to drug smuggling, money laundering, and smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison. Gareth Roberts, a 38-year-old from Leeds, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for his involvement in drug smuggling and possession of a prohibited article. Robert Williams, 35 years old, also from Leeds, received a sentence of one year and 10 months for drug smuggling and possession of a prohibited article.
Ayesha Martin, a 30-year-old from Wakefield, was handed a sentence of three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to drug smuggling, money laundering, and smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison. Her partner, Simie McGinley, also 30 years old and serving time at HMP Stocken Hall, received a sentence of one-and-a-half years for drug smuggling, money laundering, smuggling mobile phones and SIM cards into prison, and possession of a prohibited article. Jack McGlen, a 33-year-old from Leeds, was given a four-year prison sentence for his involvement in drug smuggling, money laundering, and possession of a prohibited article. His partner, Alicia Harrison, received a suspended sentence of 21 months for drug smuggling and money laundering.
Another individual, Darren Morgan, 45 years old from Bradford, received a sentence of four years and 10 months for drug smuggling, money laundering, and possession of diamorphine and cocaine with intent to supply. He had pleaded guilty to these charges. Adam Kirk, a 34-year-old from Leeds, was sentenced to two years and four months for drug smuggling, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, without insurance, and while over the specified limit for drugs. Abigail Carter, a 24-year-old from Skelmersdale, received a suspended sentence of 16 months for drug smuggling and money laundering. Her sister was an inmate at the prison. Diane Monks, 46 years old from Leeds, will be sentenced next Friday after pleading guilty to smuggling cannabis and spice. Lydia Ratcliffe, a 30-year-old from Leeds, had previously received a 12-month conditional discharge in July after pleading guilty to transmitting images from inside the prison.
According to Detective Constable Scott Jarvis, this investigation has been ongoing for over five years and has involved countless hours of phone work, forensic analysis, and financial inquiries to dismantle this complex criminal network operating both inside and outside the prison. He praised the hard work of his team in bringing the conspirators to justice and putting an end to this elaborate drug smuggling and money laundering operation.
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