prison officer from Woodston, Peterborough has been jailed after trying to smuggle nearly £5,000 worth of drugs into HMP Peterborough.

A prison officer from Woodston, Peterborough has been jailed after trying to smuggle nearly £5,000 worth of drugs into HMP Peterborough.


Gavin Isaac (26), of Clement Drive, Woodston, was found with heroin, cannabis and mobile phones hidden in his clothes.

The contraband was found by fellow officers in a search when Isaac went into the prison on Monday, October 3 and he was arrested by police.

He was jailed for five years at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, 11 November.

Judge Nic Madge said the case had to be used as a deterrent to stop others trying to bring drugs into the prison system.

Isaac had pleaded guilty to two counts of conveying articles into prison at a previous hearing.

Cheryl Williams, prosecuting, said: “The heroin was split into 100 individual wraps and was kept in a package with two mobile phones, six sim cards and a set of headphones.

“The package was hidden in the groin area of his trousers.

“The guards asked him if he had anything else on him and he produced a tennis ball package of cannabis from his sock.

“The heroin had a value in prison of £4,000, while the cannabis was worth £870 in the jail.

“When he was questioned by police, he said he had fallen into debt and needed money to pay off loan sharks.

“Both his colleagues and the prison population in general knew about his debt problems.

“He said he had been paid £300 to bring the drugs and met with a man in a car park to pick up the items.

“He said he did not know what was in the packages, but suspected at least one phone was involved.”

Miss Williams read a statement in court from a Peterborough Prison spokesman, which said the introduction of drugs into the prison system put added pressure of services, as it could lead to bullying, violent incidents between prisoners and cause problems for health services trying to help prisoners kick their drug habits.

The statement added that if prisoners get hold of mobile phones it increased the chance of drugs getting inside, prisoners contacting vulnerable victims and accessing information they should not.

The court was told Isaac served in the second Gulf War.

Lawrence Bruce, defending, said: “Isaac served his country for four years in Iraq, attaining the rank of lance corporal.

“This was a one-off incident. He was vulnerable because his spiral of debt was well-known inside the prison and he was vulnerable to corruption.”

Mr Bruce added that Isaac had no previous convictions.

Judge Madge said he had to pass a significant prison sentence.

He said: “Deterrent sentences have to be passed in these cases.

“Dissemination of drugs in prison disturbs ordinary working of prison and has potential to greatly increase difficulties of maintaining a safe environment for staff and inmates.”

Isaac was given a five-year jail term for trying to smuggle drugs into prison and a one-year term for smuggling the phones, to be served concurrently.