Sunderland prison officer caught taking contraband into HMP Deerbolt

Within months of starting work at Deerbolt YOI, near Barnard Castle, Lisa Jayne McClelland was secreting prohibited items into the establishment to pass on to young inmates.

Durham Crown Court heard that despite her previous claims that she was being pressured by prisoners, there was no sign of duress, or apparent threatening messages found on her phone.

But, there was also not said to be any evident financial motivation for the officer putting her job and liberty at risk.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, told the court McClelland began working at Deerbolt as an operational support guard in November 2020, initially doing late shifts on the gate, but in March 2021 she began teaching hairdressing/barbering, which brought her into contact with inmates.

By May last year police received intelligence that she was bringing contraband into the institution.

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She was approached by a detective as she entered the visitors’ area on May 11 last year.

McClelland was told she was suspected of being in possession of controlled drugs and would be searched.

Although she made an initial denial, when she was taken with a female officer to a private room to be searched she handed a package over, saying: “I’ve got something”.

Mr Cleasby said the wrapped item was in an envelope in a clear plastic bag in her pocket.

Asked what was in the package she claimed she did not know, but, on examination, it was found to contain smaller packages of white and brown powder, four miniature phones, six SIM cards, two usb sticks, mobile phone leads, folded strips of paper and tobacco.

Further examination confirmed the powder was crack cocaine, cannabis and pregabalin, respectively class A, B and C drugs.

In her initial police interview McClelland declined to comment, on the advice of a legal representative, but after confirmation was received of the contents of the package, she said an unknown male took it to her house, at a time she was not present.

It contained pills, which she said she threw away, and a list of phone numbers she agreed to pass onto an inmate.

She also said she took tobacco in for the inmate, knowing it was illegal, placing the items in a rubbish bin on the landing, to be collected later by the inmate.

But she said she was then asked by another prisoner to bring items into Deerbolt, knowing the package would contain prohibited items, adding that she was threatened with having her house burned down, or having a car driven into her home, if she refused.

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Mr Cleasby said cctv footage on the E-wing landing showed the defendant had twice previously placed items in the bin to be collected, prior to the day of her arrest.

A statement by Deerbolt governor Ian Richardson was read to the hearing by Mr Cleasby in which he said the presence of drugs in prison environments undermines security and can place both inmates and staff at risk of violence.

Mr Richardson said the value of drugs in prisons can be ten times of those outside such an enclosed environment.

He added: “The dishonesty and lack of integrity displayed by Lisa Jane McClelland, who was provided an abundance of support and trust is, perhaps, the most disappointing element of this.”

McClelland, 51, of Cranleigh Road, Hylton Castle, Sunderland, admitted six counts of conveying prohibited items into a prison.

Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, runs her own hairdressing business, which she would be forced to close if she was to receive an immediate prison sentence.

Ms Lodge said as work dried up during the Covid lockdown the defendant turned to working as a prison officer through a recruitment agency.

“She is well aware of how serious this is, and she deeply regrets her actions, and the impact on her, her business and family.”

Judge Jo Kidd told McClelland: “It’s unclear why you were prevailed upon to begin supplying contraband within a prison.

“You have provided no explanation for that whatsoever,” said Judge Kidd, who considered there to be no financial motive behind her actions, and no reference that she acted “under duress”.

She described the package McClelland was caught with as, “significant”, with a high value within the prison estate.

Despite requests by Ms Lodge to impose a suspended sentence, Judge Kidd said it had to be an immediate sentence for the deterrent effect.

“Those who are employed within the prison estate should understand fully what the consequences are of committing offences of this nature.”

Imposing a 31-month sentence, she said it would have been one of 42 months had McClelland not pleaded guilty.

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