A FORMER prisoner is back behind bars after he involved his mum and her husband in a plot to smuggle drugs and tobacco into a jail.

Kieron Harrop, 22, formerly of Walmersley Road, Bury, but now living in Warrington, conspired with another prisoner to throw a package over the walls of Hindley Prison, near Wigan.

At Preston Crown Court, David James, prosecuting, said in summer 2018, Harrop devised plans to smuggle cannabis, tobacco and a mobile phone into the prison alongside fellow inmate Mark Critchley, who has since died.

Contact was made using an illegal phone with Katherine and Martin Smith, aged 42 and 48 respectively of Church Drive, Orrell, with Critchley recruiting his partner, Colleen Banks, 48, of Maple Crescent, Leigh.

Critchley was supposed to feign illness so he could go to Wigan Infirmary, where Banks would hide the contraband in a toilet bin.

If this failed the Smiths to distract the prison guards and pass the package directly to Critchley.

But this plan failed when Banks got cold feet due to the amount of police at the hospital.

The court heard a further plan was hatched to throw the same package over the prison wall. But prison officers later found the stash and Harrop's mum was later arrested.

Mr James said Harrop’s stepfather had driven the conspirators to various destinations.

Banks was found guilty of carrying a quantity of cannabis into HMP Hindley.

Peter Gilmour, defending, said Harrop had made “major efforts” since his release from prison a year ago despite having “serious mental health difficulties”.

The Smiths, Banks and Harrop admitted to conspiring to bring contraband into prison. Harrop admitted to possession of a mobile phone in prison.

Recorder David Temkin, jailed Harrop for 12 months, sentence with his mum and her husband receiving six-month sentences suspended for 18 months. Banks was handed a three month suspended term.