Ex-prison officer jailed for smuggling contraband

A former prison officer has been sentenced after smuggling thousands of drugs and several other contraband into the prison where he worked.

Matthew Langdown, 36, of Severn Road, Ferndown was sentenced to prison along with three other people at Bristol Crown Court on Monday.

Brian Grady, 39, of no fixed abode, Paul O'Shea, 43 of Wick Road, Bristol and 34-year-old Kady Griffin of Goulston Walk, Bristol were also involved in the offence.

Avon and Somerset Police described the offence at HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset as a "deliberate, criminal enterprise" in which Langsdown supplied an inmate with contraband worth up to £190,000, the force said.

Langdown used protein powder tubs to conceal the prohibited items and supplied them to prisoner Grady, who sold the contraband among other inmates.

Thousands of capsules of Class C drug Pregablin, 22 smart phones, 20 SIM cards, charging cables and a 4G router were smuggled into prison.

O'Shea and Griffin supplied the banned items to Langdown and collected payments from HMP Guys Marsh prisoners.

More than £60,000 was made into O'Shea and Griffin's bank accounts from purchases by serving inmates.

Langdown was given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after pleading guilty to conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prison and misconduct in a public office.

He was also found guilty of supplying cocaine to others outside of prison.

The offences happened between January and September 2023.

Grady pleaded guilty to conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prison and was sentenced to four years in prison.

O'Shea also admitted to commiting the same offence and will serve 23 months in prison.

Meanwhile, Griffin was convicted of the same offence and received an 18-month prison term, which was suspended for two years.

Detective Inspector Tim Seaman at Avon and Somerset Police said: "Langdown, Grady, O'Shea and Griffin were part of an organised and deliberate criminal enterprise that sought to profit from undermining the security and safety of HMP Guys Marsh.

"Langdown abused his position as a serving prison officer to smuggle significant quantities of prohibited items into the prison, including drugs and mobile phones; enabling Grady to distribute them for substantial financial gain."

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Our Counter-Corruption Unit worked closely with police to uncover this despicable behaviour.

"The overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, but as this case shows, we will always take robust action when officers fall below our high standards."