Solicitor sentenced for prison smuggling

13/03/2012

A former solicitor was sentenced on Monday (12 March) to four and a half years imprisonment after being found guilty of smuggling prohibited items into a prison in Islington.  

29 year old Ritesh Brahmbhatt was found guilty along with serving prisoners David Sterling and Desmond Brown, Brown's girlfriend Danielle Porter and associate Calvin Chance of two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison.

CPS London Prosecutor Mark James-Dawson said: "These individuals entered into a sophisticated conspiracy to cheat the system and allow the prisoners contact with the outside world.

"As a practising solicitor Brahmbhatt understood the law and knew that what he was doing was prohibited. He was motivated by money.

"Now, a robust prosecution by the CPS means that Brahmbhatt is also a serving prisoner."

On 17 September 2009 Brahmbhatt was subject to a search as he entered Pentonville Prison. He was found to have stuffed in his shoes a quantity of cannabis. He had components of mobile phones in his other shoe and he had a further package of cannabis on his person. He was wearing size 12 shoes in order to accommodate the items - his feet are size 9.

It is a criminal offence to bring certain items into a prison (the Prison Act 1952, sections 40B 40(C)2). This act lists the items that it is prohibited to take into prisons, including the items Mr Brahmbhatt was attempting to smuggle in.

A large investigation followed which uncovered evidence of numerous visits into the prison by Brahmbhatt which the CPS claim showed the sophisticated system the defendants had set up.

In sentencing Sterling was imprisoned for five years, Brown was imprisoned for four and a half years, Chance was imprisoned for three and a half years and Porter was imprisoned for three years.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The full charges are as follows:

i, Conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison - a list A article namely quantities of cannabis including 25.7g of cannabis and 27.3g of cannabis.

ii, Conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison - a list B article, namely mobile phones and component parts of a mobile phone

2. Trial took place at Blackfriars Crown Court beginning on 13 July 2011.

3. Brahmbhatt was also sentenced to one and a half years to run concurrent to the above sentence. This is for an offence committed in Winchester.

4. Chance was also sentenced to two years to run concurrent to the above sentence. This is for an offence committed in Hertfordshire.