Dog became suspicious when man wore two pairs of trousers to work

A corrupt prison worker was rumbled after a sniffer dog became suspicious of the two pairs of trousers he was wearing.

Paul Heath used a secret pair of trousers to smuggle thousands of pounds of cannabis into HMP Liverpool.

Heath - who was employed as a maintenance contractor - stuffed more contrabandinto packages and taped them to his ankles. A subsequent investigation revelead there had been discussion about him delivering weapons to inmates.

Heath was driven by a crippling gambling addiction after being paid as much up to £1000 per delivery.

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On May 27 last year, Heath's crimes were finally unveiled after a security dog "showed a lot of interest in him" while he was walking through security, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday.

Sarah Egan, prosecuting, described how this led to a total of £425 in cash being found in his rucksack. A smartphone and a Nokia "burner" phone were then discovered inside his locker, at which stage the 48-year-old protested: "People share my locker. I don't know who shares my locker."

A further search of his person led to two packages of cannabis resin being recovered from the pockets of a second pair of trousers which Heath had been wearing underneath an outer pair. He then took his boots off and revealed further parcels of tobacco and cigarette papers which were taped to his ankles.

Asked at this stage whether he had come under threat in order to transport these goods into the establishment, he claimed that he had but "wouldn't provide any names". The 493g of drugs seized from him was said to have a street value of between £2,465 and £4,930, although its value would be "up to 10 times" higher within the prison estate.

Messages on Heath's phone meanwhile revealed that he had been making arrangements to smuggle illicit items, including weapons, into the jail as far back as February 2024. He admits having similarly taken cannabis into his workplace on four occasions prior to him being caught.

Heath has no previous convictions. Callum Ross, defending, told the court: "Clearly, the defendant was a willing volunteer, for want of a better phrase, for financial gain. He was clearly not the ringleader and was simply the courier of drugs from outside the prison into it.

"As we know, drugs in prison are a real problem in the country. The court will note that he has expressed considerable remorse for his behaviour. This is a defendant who, when I have spoken to him about how a man of good character came to be involved in the way he did, has been very candid.

"The court will have read about how both of his parents had passed away, his father some six years ago and his mother last year. He sadly lost his father and brother in the space of 12 months.

"A significant decline in his mental health followed. In hindsight, he should have sought help. He did not, and he succumbed to his problems. They manifested themselves in a very significant gambling addiction.

"Prior to this, the defendant had been a man with a very positive working history since the age of 16. He had worked in a variety of different roles prior to working in maintenance at HMP Liverpool.

"He tried to fix his problems, firstly with loans from friends and payday loans. Eventually, he was approached about taking cannabis into prison, which he accepted. The motivation for him, very sadly, was the money, and he stands to pay the price as a result of that.

"He has been tackling that gambling addiction since this offending. He had been working up until his remand. He gained employment with a mechanical firm since his arrest. He was a labourer. He does have stable accommodation, residing with his wife."

Heath admitted conveying a prohibited article into a prison and being concerned in the supply of cannabis. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a grey t-shirt, he was jailed for 20 months.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "You acknowledge what you have done. You explain that you were first approached by prisoners, believing it might stop constant requests.

"Having succumbed, you then continued because of the amount of money you were given, sometimes significant quantities of money. You describe receiving between several hundred pounds and a thousand pounds per delivery. Your gambling addiction was a real driver for this offending.

"Drugs in prison exacerbate addiction, create debt, lead to bullying and violence and undermine discipline. This offending was not impulsive or isolated. It was repeated over several weeks with planning and concealment.

"You did so while working in a position of trust. The prison service relies on the honesty of such staff, and breaching that trust corrodes the security of the entire estate.

"There is plainly significant mitigation available to you. You are 48 years of age with no previous convictions. The pre-sentence report reports that you are candid, ashamed and acutely aware of the damage that you have caused.

"I accept that your remorse is genuine. You have, in the past, suffered bereavements. You also had a serious gambling addiction. While this does not excuse what you have done, it plainly informs the context.

"I also note that you have been in employment throughout your life. This represents, therefore, conduct which is completely out of character. I am told that you have some offer of work upon release. It suggests that you are someone who is capable of leading a law abiding and productive life.

"You cannot properly be described as a mere courier. You were doing this for significant gain for yourself. You had a choice to make. You knew what you were doing and the risks that were involved.

"Plainly, there are good prospects of rehabilitation in your case. But this is very serious offending. This type of offending calls for deterrent sentencing and, in the circumstances, there is no appropriate sentence other than one of immediate custody that would meet the justice of this case."