A mother and son duo have been convicted for smuggling drugs and mobile phones into HMP Pentonville. Gary Grannells, 40, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court on Tuesday, 12 February, for possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply. He also received an additional 16 months for unauthorised smuggling of Class B items into the prison, to run concurrently.
His mother, Amanda Grannells, 55, avoided jail but was handed a one year and four months suspended sentence for assisting with criminal property offences. She was also ordered to complete 70 hours of unpaid work. Both had previously pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court.
The case came to light after prison officers raided Gary’s cell on 14 February 2017, seizing 234 grams of Spice and several mobile phones. Investigations revealed that Gary’s drug operation had been active since August 2014.
Evidence indicated Amanda’s significant involvement, with suspicious transactions on her bank account linked to smuggling contraband into prisons. Police searched Amanda’s flat in the W11 area, where they found more phones, SIM cards, and accessories intended for smuggling into HMP Pentonville. Bank records showed she used her accounts to funnel money related to the illegal operation.
Detective Inspector Mark Galloway stated: “The sentencing in this case acknowledges the direct harm caused by these offences, which directly undermines the extensive work delivered within prisons to support and rehabilitate offenders.”
He added, “The Met is committed to our close partnership with the Prison Service and together, we will continue to combat the organised criminals supplying drugs and phones into our prisons.”
Detective Sergeant Karen Smith said: “This operation targeted those paid to smuggle contraband into prisons. We’ll keep working with HMP to tackle the growing issue of prison smuggling.”
She continued, “It’s great to see tougher sentences being handed down against offenders involved in prison crimes.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
