Detective Sergeant Gareth Gent, South Yorkshire Police Prison Crime Anti-Corruption Unit, gives a statement outside Sheffield Crown Court today (October 27) following HMP Lindholme sentencings.
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00:00 I'm Detective Sergeant Gareth Jen from South Yorkshire Polices, a dedicated prison anti-corruption
00:16 unit. The handing of these 16 sentences today marks the end of an unprecedented investigation
00:22 into one of the most significant and complex prison conspiracies in the country. The work
00:28 that has gone into piecing together the activities of this criminal enterprise has been considerable.
00:34 Our investigation started in 2019 when, based on intelligence received, we began investigating
00:40 38-year-old prison nursing assistant Amy Hatfield. Over the following four years, we identified
00:46 an extensive group of 17 criminals who were involved in smuggling dangerous and illegal
00:51 drugs and articles into HMP Lindock for financial gain. Today I want to recognise the dedication
00:58 of the investigation team, in particular the officer in the case, Detective Constable Scott
01:03 Jarvis, who have worked relentlessly to gather evidence against those involved. In addition,
01:08 I would like to thank the specialists who have provided their knowledge and expertise
01:12 to the case over the last four years. This result could also not have been achieved without
01:17 the assistance from our partners at the Crown Prosecution Service and the Prison Service,
01:22 and we would like to thank them today. While I am pleased that today's sentencing sees
01:27 a number of this group behind bars, our work to tackle the smuggling of illegal items into
01:32 prison does not stop here. Prisons should be places of safety where inmates can get
01:38 help or support as they work towards rehabilitation. We know that sadly the circulation of drugs
01:45 and other illicit substances causes great misery and violence in our prisons. We continue
01:51 to work closely with the Prison Service to eliminate this kind of activity in prisons,
01:55 and we are steadfast in our commitment to identifying those who exploit that system.
02:01 We will ensure those who are responsible are met with a full, full...