Four crooks have been locked up after a crooked prison officer helped smuggle drugs and tobacco into one of the UK’s toughest jails.
Jail Guard’s Secret Drug Ring Uncovered
West Midlands Police have exposed a twisted scheme inside HMP Birmingham involving Carla Moskot-Brettell, 35, a prison custody officer at HMP Hewell. She teamed up with her inmate boyfriend Darren Oakes and two accomplices, Louise Docker and Patricia Bucknell, to get cannabis and tobacco inside the prison walls.
The gang’s sneaky method? Cannabis was wrapped in cling film, stuffed inside surgical gloves supplied by Moskot-Brettell, then coated with spices to fool sniffer dogs. Bucknell smuggled the contraband during social visits with Oakes.
Once inside, Oakes swallowed the drug packages concealed in food orders and faked being sick to retrieve and consume the stash in his cell.
Criminals Sentenced to Jail Time
- Carla Moskot-Brettell: 3 years 9 months
- Darren Oakes: 3 years 9 months
- Louise Docker: 2 years 3 months
- Patricia Bucknell: 2 years 3 months
All four admitted guilt and were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Friday (28 Nov), facing hefty jail terms for their part in the brazen smuggling operation.
Police Slam Corrupt Prison Officer
“Moskot-Brettell abused her position as a prison officer to support criminality that put contraband inside the very prison she worked for,” said Detective Constable Adam McHugh from the West Midlands Regional Prison Intelligence Unit. “Her behaviour undermines public trust. Alongside her co-conspirators, she now faces time behind bars.”
This crackdown sends a clear message: corruption won’t be tolerated behind bars. Authorities vow to keep UK prisons secure and free from criminal insider deals.
