Package had been smeared in Marmite to disguise the smell of cannabis

Three people, including a prison teacher, who smuggled drugs and mobile phones into Wormwood Scrubs, have been jailed for a total of nine and a half years.

The packaging had been smeared in Marmite in an attempt to disguise the smell of cannabis.

The package, which was sent via Royal Mail and addressed to the prison teacher, Niyi Onilude, was intercepted by prison officers on February 18 this year.

The officers became suspicious of the smell emanating from the package, which was found to contain:

- 144g cannabis resin
- 13g heroin (57% purity)
- 23g herbal cannabis
- two cannabis grinders
- two Samsung mobile phones, plus chargers and batteries
- one packet of ‘spice’ (a legal high)

Prison teacher Niyi Onilude, 54, of Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 was arrested at HMP Wormwood Scrubs later that day and admitted accepting packages containing drugs on behalf of Barnabie. In court his co-conspirators also pleaded guilty.

On November 26 at Southwark Crown Court, all three individuals were sentenced as follows:

Niyi Onilude was sentenced to two and a half years for conspiracy to convey a prohibited article into a prison.

Shaun Barnabie, 32 of HMP Wandsworth was sentenced to five and a half years for conspiracy to convey class A and B drugs into a prison.

He also received five and a half years for money laundering, 18 months for conspiracy to convey a mobile phone into a prison and 8 months for perverting the course of justice, to run concurrently with the first count.

Parice Lewis, 23 of Harwoods Rd, Watford was sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to convey a prohibited article into a prison. Lewis wrapped and prepared the packages containing drugs and mobile phones, using Marmite to conceal the smell. She then sent them via Special Delivery to HMP Wormwood Scrubs for the attention of Onilude, who worked in the Education department. Onilude signed and accepted delivery of the packages which he passed on to Barnabie during class.

Lewis allowed two of her bank accounts to be used to facilitate the payment of drugs and phones sold within the prison. Several packages are believed to have been sent in this way before one was intercepted. At this point Barnabie tried to make contact with Lewis via the prison telephone system instructing her to dispose of her mobile phone.

Lewis' mobile phone was found to contain incriminating Whatsapp messages of her bragging about the criminal enterprise she was running with Barnabie.

DC Lorraine Simpson of SCO36 London Prison Anti-Corruption Team, said: " This sentence reflects the serious nature and the harm caused by the corrupt activity of prison employees.

" Through the hard work and determination of the Metropolitan Police’s London Prison Anti-Corruption Team and Her Majesty’s Prison Wormwood Scrubs, these individuals have been given a sentence that reflects the severity of the offence. We are committed to ensuring that those involved in trafficking drugs and mobile phones into prisons, along with any employee in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner will be brought to justice."

November 28, 2014