Prison drugs smuggler faces confiscation of criminal cash

We have previously reported how Rickie McCullough-Hyett-Brooks of Worcester could have made £1 million from the criminal enterprise.

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Brooks, 36, previously of Perrins Way, Bevere, near Worcester appeared over videolink from HMP Oakwood at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday as a judge set a date for a contested confiscation hearing.

The courts have powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize cash and assets if money has been made through crime.

GUILTY: Rickie McCullough-Hyett-Brooks

Appearing in person at court was his co-defendant, Emma Meszaros, 31, of Yarnolds Terrace, Cheltenham.

Brooks admitted a string of drugs offences involving the production and supply of synthetic cannabinoids into prison - a drug which is up to 40 times stronger than ordinary cannabis.

He was jailed for seven years and four months after he used confidential stamps (rule 39 stamps) and fake solicitors' letters impregnated with Spice to get the drugs into jail, knowing that prison officers would not be able to open the correspondence because the private letters were for the eyes of prisoners only.

ROLE: Emma Meszaros had a much less significant role in the enterprise

A statement from the prison governor at HMP Exeter, one of the prisons the drugs were bound for, described how psychoactive substances like the ones supplied by the defendant caused debt-related violence, bullying, created medical emergencies and caused prisoners to become 'extremely violent or unresponsive' and had 'an impact on the health and safety of staff.'

Brooks also admitted possession of criminal property (cash) - the proceeds of the criminal business - and possession of MDMA (ecstasy) and ketamine with intent to supply.

Meszaros was given an 18 community order for her much smaller part in the enterprise, acting as the defendant's 'secretary'. The enterprise lasted between April 3, 2020 and March 17 last year.

Andrew Davidson who prosecuted the case previously described three types of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists (SCRA) on the indictment which he said could be '40 times more potent than ordinary cannabis' and called it 'a sophisticated drug trafficking operation' on a commercial scale which involved infusing A4 paper with the class B drug.

In total officers found 21 different types of drugs and eight mobile phones when they carried out a search at various locations linked to the defendant including his home in Worcester, his car, an industrial unit in Tewkesbury and Meszaros's address in Yarnold Terrance, Cheltenham.

Drugs and raw materials were found, drugs paraphernalia and, overall, 7.2kg of SCRA. On the open market this would be worth between £90,000 and £254,000 but traded in prison the value is greatly inflated to between £700,000 and £1million said Mr Davidson.

The search warrant was executed by police on March 17 last year at his home address in Perrins Way. The defendant was arrested a short distance away in his Audi A3.

The date for the confiscation hearing was set for Friday, December 2 at Worcester Crown Court.