Prison restaurant worker caught with £5k worth of drugs

STYAL INMATE, 47, SPOTTED BEING HANDED PACKAGE IN CAR PARK

A PRISONER working at a restaurant was caught with a drugs package worth up to £5,000 – containing crack cocaine, heroin and pregabalin tablets.

Richenda Kane, an inmate at HMP Styal, had been working at The Clink – a restaurant run by prisoners as part of a rehabilitation initiative.

But the 47-year-old was spotted by prison staff being handed an ‘item’ from someone in the car park.

After confronting her about it, Kane volunteered the items, which she had been hiding in her clothing.

It was found to contain 12 wraps of heroin, 29 wraps of crack cocaine and 224 tablets of the prescription drug, pregabalin, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The total value could have been worth well over £5,000, the court heard. She was also found with two mobile phones.

In her police interview, she said she was in debt in prison and agreed to take the tablets, but was unaware of the other class A drugs found.

Kane pleaded guilty to bringing a list ‘A’ and list ‘B’ article into prison and possession with intent to supply

Drugs and unlawful mobile phones in the prison service cause harm Recorder Mark Ainsworth

class A and class C drugs. She was handed a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for two years.

Prosecuting, Claire Brocklebank said staff at Styal prison were informed Kane was in the car park of The Clink, based at Styal, on September 22, 2019.

“They were informed she was in the car park being handed an item by a man,” she said. “She was collected by the prison officers and volunteered the items, which were hidden inside her clothing. Drugs were found, which were packaged for onward supply.”

These included heroin, valued at between £300 and £1,200, crack cocaine, valued at between £1,450 and £2,900, and pregabalin tablets, worth between £1,120 and £2,240.

Two mobile phones and SIM cards were also seized.

Kane was said to have previous convictions for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin from 2016, as well as conspiracy to supply drugs in 2018, for which she was serving a sentence at the time.

Sentencing Kane, of Kensington, Liverpool, Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: “Drugs and unlawful mobile phones in the prison service cause harm to prisoners and cause difficulties as authorities attempt to deal with people who are dealing drugs.”

Kane was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and given a sixmonth curfew banning her from leaving her house between 8pm and 6am.