Couple jailed after smuggling drugs into prison

Mark Staniland and Natalie Quinn have been jailed

A serving prisoner and his partner will spend years behind bars after they were caught smuggling drugs into prison.

Convicted robber Mark Staniland, 36, orchestrated the supply of controlled drugs into HMP Nottingham with help from his girlfriend Natalie Quinn, 42.

The pair were arrested after an intelligence unit found they were arranging the supply of illegal substances into the prison, where Staniland was serving an indeterminate sentence.

Nottingham Crown Court heard police executed a warrant at Quinn’s home address in Southport, Merseyside, and found Class A, B and C drugs, mixing agents, over £7000 cash hidden in a ‘book safe’ and two high value watches.

Evidence from their conversations from prison, messages on mobile phones and ANPR evidence was used to identify five dates in 2021 where Quinn and Staniland had supplied synthetic cannabinoid and cocaine to contacts in Nottinghamshire, Doncaster and Derbyshire.

Police discovered bags filled with cocaine and cannabis during the investigation

It was also suspected that Quinn and Staniland were arranging for paper and envelopes soaked in ‘spice’ (synthetic cannabinoid) to be sent into Staniland and his associates in prison.

The court was told the total value of all of the controlled substances and adulterants seized by officers during the investigation to be between £127k and £194k. 

Financial enquiries revealed that Quinn was using one of her bank accounts to receive money from family members of different prisoners who were at HMP Nottingham at the same time as Staniland, many of them being on the same wing.

These ranged from a one-off payment of £20 to the mother of one prisoner who transferred over £1,000 to Quinn between August and October 2021.

In total, she received £1,585 from prisoners’ family members over this time period which are believed to relate to spice paper that she and Staniland were supplying into HMP Nottingham.

The same bank account was credited with over £20,000 around the same time period with no evidence of this being any legitimate income.

Police seized a 'book safe' filled with cash during the investigation

Following a police investigation, Quinn and Staniland were charged with a string of offences and put before the courts.

Staniland, now of HMP Garth, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A, B and C drugs – namely heroin, cocaine, a synthetic cannabinoid and bromazolam..

He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months.

Quinn, of Cherry Road, Southport, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A, B and C drugs – namely heroin, cocaine, a synthetic cannabinoid and bromazolam. She also admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine, a synthetic cannabinoid and bromazolam.

She was sentenced to six years.

Following the sentencing on Monday (25 November), Detective Constable Catherine Bolland, of the Regional Prisons Intelligence Unit, said:

“Drugs have no place in prison and hinder the rehabilitation of those who are there, often when they are at their most vulnerable.

“These sentences send a clear message that those seeking to smuggle items into our prisons will be investigated and brought before the courts.

“Our prison officers are well trained to spot signs of suspicious activity and will continue to work proactively to target those attempting to bring packages into prisons.”