Woman jailed for trying to smuggle drugs over wall of Pentonville Prison

A woman caught trying to smuggle drugs and mobile phone into Pentonville prison has been jailed in the week the Met Police began its latest phase in a campaign against knife crime.

Sharne Kiely, who was found in possession of a knife when she was stopped by police, was jailed for 16 months after admitting carrying a knife and two charges of conspiring to convey articles into prison.

Police arrested Kiely, a 44-year-old from Clutton Street in Poplar, east London, trying to attach items to a line over the wall of Pentonville Prison in the Caledonian Road in north London on June 17 last year.

They searched her black satchel and found 78g of cannabis, several mobile phones and a knife.

“Anyone caught smuggling prohibited items into prison will be arrested,” Det Con Chris De Asha warned. “Kiely’s conviction and sentence shows our work in trying to stop the flow of drugs and mobile phones into prisons.”

Scotland Yard started the seventh phase of Operation Sceptre against knife crime last Monday—the day Kieley was convicted at Blackfriars Crown Court.

The campaign which ended last night included weapon sweeps, ‘stop and search’ and proactive operations to tackle those wanted in connection with knife-related offences and violence.

Nearly 6,000 weapon sweeps have been carried out in previous weeks, with 1,435 weapons having been found and removed from the streets. The operations have led to 2,000 arrests including 473 for possessing a knife or offensive weapon.