Prison officer smuggled steroids in her undies
DISGRACED WORKER WAS ALSO HANDED PHONES BY MAN IN CAR PARK
A SALFORD man met a prisoner officer in pub car parks to hand over steroids and phones for her to smuggle to inmates in her underwear.
Gemma Farr was found to have abused her position at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire after bosses alerted police about her conduct in September 2017, amid rumours she had a romance with a convicted killer who is serving a life sentence.
The 37-year-old, who worked in a prisoner rehab role for seven years, indicated she hid the banned items in her underwear during a police interview.
The disgraced officer had a routine of leaving the HMP Dovegate grounds and arranged regular meetings with Peter Cochrane in nearby pub car parks where the consignments were handed over, West Midlands Police said.
Cochrane, 58, of Cross Lane in Salford, was handed an eight-month jail term for his part in the supply conspiracy at Birmingham Crown Court.
Another inmate, convicted robber Ricky Walsh, 34, was discovered trying to flush a Samsung handset down his cell toilet during a lockdown search and will be sentenced after orchestrating the supply of drugs and phones.
His partner Louise Brierley, 34, from Manchester, admitted taking deposits from associates of prisoners who used the contraband supply chain and putting them in her bank account. She was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Analysis of Farr’s phone showed over 1,500 contacts as well as calls, texts and WhatsApp messages from June to September 2017. Her number was suspected of being a ‘pool phone’ used secretively by prisoners, police said.
Farr, from Draycott, Derbyshire, was jailed for 32 months after admitting conspiring to supply steroids and phones into prison at the same crown court hearing.
A third charge of misconduct in a public office was left to lie on file.
Det Con Stephanie Petersen, said: “This latest conviction is the result of a year-long investigation.
“The group involved in the conspiracy included a serving prison officer, a convicted prisoner, the prisoner’s partner and an associate used to transport the illicit items.
“This sends a clear message to all those who considering smuggling illegal items into a prison: whatever your role we will investigate offences and the perpetrators risk significant prison sentences.”