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Salford man gave prison officer steroids and phones for her to smuggle to inmates in her underwear - Manchester Evening News

Share By Charlotte Dobson Josh Payne 06:00, 10 JAN 2019 News Prison officer Gemma Farr would meet Peter Cochrane in pub car parks where he would hand over banned goods for her to smuggle into jail Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe See our privacy notice More newsletters Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email A Salford man met a prisoner officer in pub car parks to hand over steroids and phones for her to smuggle to inmates in her underwear.

Gemma Farr was found to have abused her position at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire after bosses alerted police about her conduct in September 2017, amid rumours she had a romance with a convicted killer who is serving a life sentence.

The 37-year-old, who worked in a prisoner rehab role for seven years, indicated she hid the banned items in her underwear during a police interview.

Read More Desperate heroin addicts stole religious texts from Salford synagogue - and then chucked them away The disgraced prison officer had a routine of leaving the HMP Dovegate grounds and arranged regular meetings with Peter Cochrane in nearby pub car-parks where the consignments were handed over, West Midlands Police said.

Cochrane, 58, from Cross Lane in Salford, was handed an eight-month jail term for his part in the supply conspiracy at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

HMP Dovegate Another inmate, convicted robber Ricky Walsh, 34, was discovered trying to flush a Samsung handset down his cell toilet during a lockdown search and will be sentenced after orchestrating the supply of drugs and phones.

His partner Louise Brierley, 34, from Manchester, admitted taking deposits from associates of prisoners who used the contraband supply chain and putting them in her bank account. She was ordered to carry out 200 hours' unpaid work.

Analysis of prison officer Farr's phone showed over 1,500 contacts as well as calls, texts and WhatsApp messages from June to September 2017.

Her number was suspected of being a 'pool phone' used secretively by prisoners, police said.

Read more of today's top stories here. Farr, of Draycott, Derbyshire, was jailed for 32 months after admitting conspiring to supply steroids and phones into prison at the same crown court hearing Tuesday.

A third charge of misconduct in a public office was left to lie on file.

Detective Constable Stephanie Petersen, said: "This latest conviction is the result of a year-long investigation.

"The group involved in the conspiracy included a serving prison officer, a convicted prisoner, the prisoner's partner and an associate used to transport the illicit items.

Read More Why has the Bridgewater Canal turned a bizarre shade of blue? "This sends a clear message to all those who considering smuggling illegal items into a prison: whatever your role we will investigate offences and the perpetrators risk significant prison sentences."

Georgina Davies, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "This was a complex case as the majority of the evidence was derived from phone downloads, cell site and banking evidence.

"By scrutinising this evidence, the CPS was able to demonstrate connections between the offenders which secured the conviction for the conspiracy."