Four people guilty of smuggling drug-filled drones into prisons

Four people, including a former Staffordshire police officer, are due to be sentenced in connection with the smuggling of contraband into prisons using drones.

In a case which concluded at Coventry Crown Court this week, Peter King, aged 53, former Staffordshire Police detective constable Clare Davenport, aged 50, Kent George, aged 63, and Mervyn Foster, aged 46, were all found to be involved in the criminal enterprise.

The incidents took place throughout 2021 and 2022 when drones containing prohibited items were “flown-to-order” into HMP Onley in Northamptonshire and HMP Gartree in Leicestershire.

The packages inside these drones contained Class A and B drugs, spice, tobacco, mobile phones and other contraband.

One package, recovered by a prison officer patrolling the grounds in August 2021, contained heroin with a prison value of £22,400 and cannabis with a prison value of £15,300.

A police investigation into the increased drone activity at the prisons was launched and King, Davenport, Kent and Foster were all found to be responsible.

At an earlier hearing at Coventry Crown Court in August, King pleaded guilty to conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List A prohibited article into/out of a prison, conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List B prohibited article into/out of a prison, and conspiring to acquire/use/possess criminal property.

Kent and Foster were found guilty of the same offences following a trial which ended at Coventry Crown Court yesterday (September 29).

Davenport pleaded guilty at Coventry Crown Court in August to conspiring to acquire/use/possess criminal property.

Detective Inspector Carrie Powers from Northamptonshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team said: “This was a very complex investigation involving a number of agencies and I am really pleased that not only did we stop these drone drops from happening, but that the people responsible have been brought to justice.”

A gross misconduct hearing held by Staffordshire Police on August 3, 2023, concluded that Davenport would have been dismissed if she had not already retired.

All four offenders will be sentenced at Coventry Crown Court on November 17.