Teen who killed young boy used smuggled phone to 'chat to his nan'

HMP Wetherby
-Credit: (Image: Mtaylor848/Wikipedia)


A teenage killer took videos and selfies on mobile phones smuggled into prison and hidden in his cell.

Harvey Oliver, 19, was serving a sentence of eight years and four months for manslaughter at HMP Wetherby when prison officers forced their way into his cell in a "targeted search" Leeds Crown Court heard on Monday.

Prosecutor Emma Handley said an iPhone, Zanco phone and three SIM cards were found inside a light fitting during the search on August 22 last year. She said: "Downloads of the items were conducted and it was said he was using the phones and could transmit and receive communications while in the prison environment."

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A report said it was also found that Oliver had taken selfies and videos while wearing prison-issued uniform. Ms Handley said: "The defendant was to be interviewed on 28th February this year. He was taken to the interview room and when informed he was to be spoke to by police officers he refused to attend and returned to his prison cell."

The court heard Oliver was sentenced in March 2022 for killing a young boy. He had attacked his victim and another boy with a knife and was convicted of manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife.

Mitigating, Mohammed Rafiq, said Oliver had wanted to use the phones to speak with his mum and nan. He said: "He has been in custody and I have asked him 'Why is it he had two phones' and his answer was this: 'I wanted to keep in touch with my family, my mum and my nan.'

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"His instructions are he only had these phones for a short period of time before there was a random search and they had been found. I accept they [phones] can be problematic to the authorities but there is no evidence he had them for any criminality...This had a very negative impact upon him.

"He lost his privileges but having said that, he has tried to move on with his life since then and has completed courses... Recently he has secured a job in the servery, it's a trust position...

"He's entirely remorseful for what's he's done."

His Honour Judge Mansell KC jailed Oliver for a further ten months for the offence of possessing without authority inside a prison a specified item."