Plot to throw drugs over prison wall

THREE men evolved a plan to throw drugs worth nearly £2,000 over a prison wall to a friend doing time.
The idea was to throw bars of soap, wrapped in socks, as a decoy and then throw cannabis and mobile phones, also in socks.
But the trio were spotted by prison officers using CCTV as they hurled the soap and mobile phones over a 21ft high wall into an exercise yard at Risley Prison, Warrington Crown Court was told.
The three, all from Manchester, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
Michael Johnson, 48, from Hulme, was jailed for 21 months and Jermaine Wilhelm, 25, from Gorton was jailed for 16 months.
John Millbanks, 23, also from Hulme, failed to answer bail and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Robert Philpots, prosecuting, said the likely recipient of the drugs was a nephew of Johnson who was an inmate at the time.
A number of socks containing soap and mobile phones were thrown into the exercise yard and a prison officer spotted Millbanks carrying something outside the prison walls. Police were called and drugs worth more than £1,700 were found in four socks in a car used by the three men.
John Kennerley, for Wilhelm, said his client had no previous convictions. He had not known the reason for the journey to Risley when he got into the car.
Dafydd Roberts, for Johnson, said his client had suffered with a serious heroin addiction but also did not realise they were going to Risley when he got in the car.
Recorder Frank Feehan told the defendants: “Supply or intended supply of drugs in prison has to result in custody. Prison is prison and the discipline in prisons is extremely important.”