Four, including prison officer, admit conspiring to supply drugs into HMP Doncaster

Four people, including a prison officer, have admitted conspiring to supply drugs into HMP Doncaster.

Appearing at Sheffield Crown Court, they were charged with conspiring to supply drugs and illicit articles into a number of prisons, and the associated money laundering.

30-year-old prison officer Rio Moran, from Halifax, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class B drugs into prison, conspiring to convey List B articles into prison and money laundering.

31-year-old James Millington, of HMP Leeds, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class B and C drugs into prison between 2017 and 2020, conspiring to supply Class B drugs into prison and Conspiring to convey List B articles into prison.

32-year-old Claire Anderson, from Stockport, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class B and C drugs into prison between 2017 and 2020, conspiring to supply Class B drugs into prison and conspiring to convey List B articles into prison.

30-year-old Callum Reilly, of no fixed abode from the Stockport area, pleaded guilty to supplying a Class B drug to Anderson, conspiring to convey List B articles into prison and money laundering.

The court heard that officers from South Yorkshire Police’s Prison Anti-Corruption Unit arrested prison officer Rio Moran as she arrived for work in November 2020.

A substantial amount of drugs and phones were found at her home address.

While officers were searching her home, Callum Reilly attended and tried to post further contraband through the front door address, and was arrested - the contraband was bound for HMP Doncaster.

HMP Doncaster inmate James Millington was found to be the recipient of the items, and was also arrested.

His partner Claire Anderson was found to have assisted and was detained at her home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Drugs and phones bound for prison were also found at her property.

All four will appear before Sheffield Crown Court on 5 November to be sentenced.

Detective Sergeant Gareth Gent who led the investigation said South Yorkshire Police are ''committed to supporting the prison establishments.''

John Hewitson, Serco Prison Director at HMP Doncaster, said there is a ''zero tolerance approach to people breaking the law.''

“We expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works in the prison and the vast majority of our people meet those standards, but this individual fell well short of what is expected. There is no scenario where we will ever accept people bringing contraband into a secure prison establishment.''