Prisoner directed drug-dealing gang from behind bars

APeterhead prisoner ran a drug-dealing gang from his HMP Grampian jail cell with the unintended help of prison authorities.

Martin Knight, 31, directed the organised crime group from behind bars using a mobile phone and Sim cards, some of which had been issued by the Scottish Prison Service.

Knight instructed drug deals from the Aberdeenshire lock-up between December 2021 and March 2022, the High Court in Edinburgh was told.

However, the already convicted criminal was snared after gang members were arrested in raids across Scotland during the same period.

Detectives discovered they had been in contact with Knight’s mobile phone and built a case to prove the inmate had been masterminding the gang’s operations.

On Friday, prosecutor

Brian Gill KC told judge Lord Mulholland that the police recovered drugs during the raids which were linked to Knight.

He said that officers recovered cocaine worth up to £900,600 on the street, and £54,600 of heroin, along with over £86,000 in cash.

“When he was a prisoner in HMP Grampian, the accused performed a managerial role in an organised crime group involved in the supply and distribution of controlled drugs in Scotland,” Mr Gill said.

“In particular he used a mobile phone and Sim cards – some issued by prison authorities and some obtained illegally – in order to arrange the distribution of cocaine and diamorphine from inside the prison.”

The story emerged after Knight, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to two charges of being concerned with the supply of cocaine and heroin between December 4 2021 and March 30 2022.

Knight attended court proceedings via video link from prison. On Friday, Mr Gill told Lord Mulholland that Knight had 23 previous convictions.

He was previously given a six-year custodial sentence in April 2014 for dealing drugs.

The court heard that the gang for which Knight worked as a manager was based in the Aberdeen area.

Several members of the group were arrested.

The court heard the mobile phones belonging to the detainees were linked with a phone number shortly before their arrests.

Police officers uncovered that it belonged to Knight.

Defence solicitor advocate Shahid Latif told Lord Mulholland that, despite his lengthy criminal record, Knight could change his ways.

He added: “This is an individual who can be rehabilitated.

“I’m not asking for clemency or leniency but I’m asking that, whatever sentence you impose on him, it will not extinguish his hope of becoming fully integrated with his partner and his family.”

Lord Mulholland jailed Knight for six years, adding: “You managed this trafficking operation from prison and the trafficking operation was large in scale.

“Had you not pled guilty, the sentence of the court would have been one of nine years’ imprisonment.

“I will discount this to six years imprisonment.”

Lord Mulholland also imposed a serious crime prevention order on Knight for five years.

It is intended to curb criminal behaviour once an offender is released from prison.

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CELL PHONE: Knight used a mobile phone and Sim cards, some of which were issued by the Scottish Prison Service.