Prison officer among five charged with smuggling drugs into Maghaberry Prison

HMP Maghaberry was built on the site of RAF Maghaberry, a World War II airfield near Lisburn, Northern Ireland, which was used as a flying station by the Royal Air Force and also as a transit airfield for the United States Army Air Forces (Copy from Wikipedia) - Credit: Philip Magowan / Presseye
The charges arose after a police investigation into an alleged conspiracy to traffic illegal substances into a jail discovered cash, drugs and mobile phones at a serving prison officer's home. 

Five people, including a prison officer and an attempted murderer have been charged with plotting to smuggle drugs and “illicit” items into Maghaberry prison. 

Suspended prison officer Colin Gallagher, 55, faces an allegation of misconduct in public office, four others of aiding and abetting the alleged misconduct.  

Gallagher, whose address was given as: c/o Maghaberry Prison, is alleged to have “wilfully misconducted" in what amounted to "an abuse of the public's trust" in him. He is believed to have "surreptitiously taken into HMP Maghaberry certain illicit articles which he then passed to a life sentenced prisoner, for his own enrichment or the enrichment of others, without reasonable excuse or justification, knowing that it was wrong.”

How much of the £800m funding for each of the 28 NI schools
P&O advises customers to seek alternatives as routes suspended

Gallagher's co-accused who is serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder is accused of aiding and abetting misconduct in public office between 1 October 2016 and 22 March 2017. 

Facing the same charge are Denise Agnes Fitzsimons (60), her daughter Colleen Fitzsimons (age unknown) from Wyndham Street in Belfast and 33-year-old Eamon Clarke, from Abbeyville Place in Newtownabbey. 

In addition Denise Fitzsimons is also alleged to have possessed £6,000 of criminal cash at her Belfast home on Rosevale Street on 20 March 2017. 

The charges arose after a police investigation into an alleged conspiracy to traffic illegal substances into a jail discovered cash, drugs and mobile phones at a serving prison officer's home. 

Gallagher’s defence solicitor Patrick Higgins told the court the case revolved around the prison officer “allegedly taking illicit articles into prison for two serving inmates” and that the investigation had produced “hundreds of recordings, phone calls and transcripts between co-accuseds.”

Describing it was “an extremely substantial and extremely complex case,” he revealed that in addition there will be evidence from “helicopter footage, undercover officers and there’s CCTV from inside and outside the prison".

Applying for legal aid, Mr Higgins said Gallagher “denies all involvement” but highlighted that given his position of trust "there’s no doubt that if convicted he would be facing an extremely substantial custodial sentence".

Granting legal aid, District Judge Rosie Watters adjourned the case to 16 May.