Couple caught on camera sneakily exchanging drugs during prison visit | UK News

Members of the UK’s biggest ever prison drug smuggling ring were caught on camera trying to sneak drugs behind bars.

The footage, released by South Yorkshire Police, shows Kora Haley giving drugs to inmate Aneeze Williamson as she visited him at HMP Lindholme near Doncaster.

Haley and Williamson, both aged 30, sat across from each other as Haley reached under her top for a small packet, hiding it under a napkin on a tray in front of her.

Williamson then picked up the napkin, and clumsily tried to hide the packet under his leg while pretending to use the napkin to wipe his arm.

The less-than-subtle manoeuvre was caught on camera, and prison officers were filmed apprehending Williamson.

Williamson was sentenced to five years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to supplying Class B drugs and conspiracy to convey phones into prison.

Haley pleaded guilty to supplying Class B drugs, conspiracy to convey phones into prison and money laundering, and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

The footage was released after the sentencing of 16 people who smuggled drugs and weapons into prisons in 2019 – the UK’s largest ever prison smuggling conspiracy.

Also arrested as part of the bust was Amy Hatfield – a mental health nurse at HMP Lindholm, who started a relationship with an inmate and was key to the smuggling of contraband.

Hatfield and her lover, Joseph Whittingham were both sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. 16 out of 17 people involved in the smuggling ring have now been handed prison sentences.

The 38-year-old and her co-conspirators smuggled over £1 million worth of drugs, knives and mobile phones into the grounds of the jail.

Detective Sergeant Gareth Gent said: ‘These sentences mark the end of a unprecedented, four-year investigation into one of the most significant and complex prison conspiracies in the country.

‘The amount of work that went into piecing together the activities of the network of criminals both in and out of the prison system, working to smuggle dangerous and illegal substances into HMP Lindholme for money, is considerable.

‘While I am pleased today’s sentencing sees a number of this group behind bars, our work tackle the smuggling of illegal items into prisons does not stop here.

‘Prisons should be places of safety where inmates can get help and support as they work towards rehabilitation.

‘We know that sadly, the circulation of drugs and other illicit substances and articles causes great misery and violence in our prisons.

‘We continue to work closely with the prison service to eliminate this kind of activity in prisons, and are steadfast in our commitment to identifying those exploiting the system.

‘We will ensure those responsible are met with the full force of the law.’

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