Lincs: A man was caught trying to smuggle drugs and a mobile phone to a prisoner at Lincoln Prison

Andrew Jones arrived at the jail to visit with the items hidden inside his training shoes but attracted attention because he appeared nervous.

Jonathon Dee, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Jones spent 15 minutes with the inmate in the visiting area and while they were being watched both took off their training shoes.

Moments later Jones went to for a coffee but spilled his drink and prison staff, suspecting something was amiss, moved in.

Jones was searched but nothing untoward was found on him but the phone and 18 tablets of a steroid drug were found hidden in the training shoes being worn by the inmate.

Mr Dee said “The training shoes being worn by the inmate were like something out a spy novel.”

“They were found to have hollowed out insoles.”

“In one of them was a mobile phone in the shape of a key fob.”

“In the other there were a number of tablets of a steroid drug.”

“Jones said he thought they were a legal high.”

Jones, 51, of no fixed address but formerly of Maltby, near Rotherham, admitted charges of conveying a banned item into a prison and supplying a class C drug as a result of the incident on 6 February.

He was jailed for 12 months.

Mark Knowles, defending, said Jones had been approached by a man in Maltby who offered him the chance to clear a £200 drug debt if he took the items into the jail.

Mr Knowles said: “He agreed to do this because he owed money.”

“He was picked up, taken to the prison and given the trainers.”

“He carried on but drew attention to himself by spilling the coffee.”

“Those behind this incident were none too impressed and have taken it out on the defendant’s family.”

“Because of incidents that happened at his home address he has had to be relocated to a different area.”

Judge Michael Heath, passing sentence, told Jones “Taking a mobile phone and drugs into prison is very serious.”

“The message must go out that those who take phones and drugs into prison go immediately into custody.”