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HMP Lindholme inmates placed orders for drugs, court hears

Neil Theasby/Geograph HMP LindholmeNeil Theasby/Geograph
HMP Lindholme, a Category C prison, is located near Doncaster in South Yorkshire

A prison healthcare worker helped smuggle drugs, weapons and mobile phones into a jail, a court has heard.

Amy Hatfield was alleged to be part of a gang which flooded HMP Lindholme with knives and drugs, including cocaine.

A jury at Sheffield Crown Court was told inmates "placed orders" for items with gang members, who charged up to 10 times the street value to supply them.

Ms Hatfield, 37, of Hawthorne Street, Barnsley, and five other defendants have denied the offences.

The six were on trial for their roles in being involved in the supply of the prohibited items into the South Yorkshire prison between 2017 and 2020, the prosecution said.

Some of those items included Class A drugs such as MDMA, cocaine or heroin, as well as Class B drugs, including cannabis and spice, a synthetic version of cannabis.

Other items, including Class C drugs such as steroids, were also smuggled into the prison, along with banned items such as mobile phones, the court heard.

Cell block at Lindholme
HMP Lindholme has about 1,000 inmates

On Thursday, the jury was told how the banned items could be bought by prisoners at three to 10 times the cost of what they could be purchased for outside prison.

There was a sophisticated "criminal enterprise" behind the plot, the prosecution said.

Gordon Stables, prosecuting barrister, said: "There is, therefore, substantial profit to be made if individuals can arrange to supply that demand."

People outside prison would work with the suppliers of the items to collect payment from the prisoners or their family and friends, Mr Stables added.

It was alleged in court that Ms Hatfield would then move those items into prison after she realised she could return to her car after being initially searched at the start of her working day, under the guise of collecting her lunch.

On one occasion, the healthcare worker brought the drug spice into prison in a water bottle, Mr Stables said.

He told the court that she was paid £1,000 each time she delivered items to inmates.

The six people on trial are:

  • William Francis, 56, of Hogan Gardens, Nottingham, who denies conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class A and B, conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into prison, and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property
  • Amy Hatfield, 37, of Hawthorne Street, Barnsley, who denies conspiracy to convey list A articles into prison and conveying list A articles into prison
  • Lydia Pinnington, 22, of Clieves Road, Liverpool, who denies conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class B and conspiracy to convey list B articles into prison
  • Courtenay Ward, 25, of Rose Ash Lane, Nottingham, who denies conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class A and B, conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into prison, acquiring, using or possessing criminal property and doing an act tending and intending to pervert the court of justice
  • Paul Whittingham, 58, of Halifax Road, Bradford, who denies conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class B, conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into prison, and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property
  • Natalie Williamson, 34, of West Royd Drive, Bradford, who denies conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class B, conspiracy to convey list B articles into prison, and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property

The trial continues.

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