Woman and prisoner sentenced after smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Staffordshire jail
A 29-year-old woman and a serving prisoner at HMP Oakwood have both been sentenced after officers discovered they were smuggling drugs into prison.
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In August 2022, Alice Thursfield, 29, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, concealed packages of cannabis and tobacco when she visited prisoner Eric Pearce, aged 27, of HMP Oakwood, Featherstone in Staffordshire.
Prison officers quickly noticed that Thursfield and Pearce were monitoring staff movements, raising suspicions that something was happening during their visit.
Following the visit, Peace was searched, leading to the discovery of the package of drugs that had been exchanged.
Both Thursfield and Pearce were questioned about what happened before being charged with the offences, with both pleading guilty at an earlier court hearing before being sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday.
The estimated street value of the drugs was believed to be somewhere between £180 and £270.
Pearce, an already serving prisoner, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, to run consecutively to his existing prison term, for causing another person to bring a listed 'A' prohibited article into a prison.
Thursfield was handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
PC Thomas Evans, from the South Staffordshire local policing team, the officer in charge of the case, said "We want to make it clear that those seeking to smuggle items into our prisons will be investigated and brought before the courts.
"Our prison officers are well trained to spot signs of suspicious activity and will continue to work proactively to target those attempting to bring packages into prisons."
