Couple's elaborate prison plot with the help of inmates' families

A couple conspired together to smuggle thousands of pounds of drugs into prison with the help of inmates' families. Convicted robber Mark Staniland, 36, arranged from behind bars to smuggle drugs into HMP Nottingham with the help of his girlfriend Natalie Quinn, 42, from Southport.

It was also suspected that the couple were arranging for paper and envelopes soaked in ‘spice’ - a synthetic cannabinoid - to be sent into Staniland and his associates in prison.

But Nottingham Crown Court heard their operation came crashing down after police carried out a warrant at Quinn’s home in Southport, where they found a haul of Class A, B and C drugs, mixing agents, over £7,000 in cash hidden in a ‘book safe’ and two high value watches.

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Messages on mobile phones, evidence from their conversations from prison 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.

The court was told the total value of all of the substances seized by officers during the investigation was between £127,000 and £194,000. Quinn used 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, with many of them being on the same wing.

These ranged from a one-off payment of £20 to the mum 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. 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, November 25, 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.”