Men jailed for drugs conspiracy at Stoke Heath Prison
Two men have been jailed for almost two months for conspiring to deliver illicit drugs to Stoke Heath prison near Market Drayton.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that almost £3,000 worth of the cannabinoid known as 'spice' was seized after officers became concerned about telephone contact between inmate Christopher Ward and visitor Jonathan Hiorns.
Mr Delroy Henry, prosecuting barrister, said: "This offences were committed in May 2018. These defendants were charged in September 2019. The facts are that these two defendants entered an agreement to carry into Stoke Heath a drug also known as spice.
"The method was to send it through the post and this was discovered by a prison officer who overheard a conversation concerning the delivery of the parcel.
"On May 4, 2018, Ward was at Stoke Heath and the prison officer was supervising the call. He was heard talking to Jonathan Hiorns about sending something in a parcel. a note was taken of the number so that a recording could be kept.
"On May 31 there was a social visit to the prison by Hiorns and it was observed that there had been an attempt to pass something between these individuals. After that their phone calls were monitored."
Mr Henry said that some time afterwards a suspicious parcel arrived for Ward containing food, but examination of a tuna flakes packet uncovered 33.9 grams of spice estimated to value up to £2,720.
Both men admitted a charge of conspiracy to bring a prohibited article into Stoke Heath between May 4, 2018, and August 28, 2018.
Ward, 36, and Hiorns, 34, both now serving prisoners, were sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court to 12 weeks and 19 weeks respectively for their actions.
