A convicted murderer has been back before the courts after admitting trying to smuggle drugs into prison a year before he killed a rival.

Brandon Ali and his co-accused, Stephen Blagg, were caught on CCTV sending a parcel addressed to a man serving time on the same wing as Blagg’s son.

The box containing a radio stuffed with illicit drugs was intercepted by prison officers when it arrived at HMP Northumberland in August 2020.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Ali is already serving a minimum of 21-years in prison after he was convicted of murder this summer.

Andrea Parnham, prosecuting, said the Class C drugs, including anti-anxiety drug pregabalin, were estimated to have a value of between £1,175 and £3,370.

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She said the CCTV footage from inside the Crescent Road Post Office, Middlesbrough, showed Ali write the address on the package before Blagg handed it over the counter and pay the postage cost.

The Northern Echo: Brandon AliBrandon Ali

Ali, formerly of Dalwood Court in Hemlington, and Blagg, of Macbean Street, Middlesbrough, both pleaded guilty to conveying a List ' A ' prohibited article into prison.

Michele Turner, mitigating for Ali, said her client accepted he had been ‘incredibly stupid’ to get involved in the scheme to post the drugs into the prison.

While Kelleigh Lodge, representing Blagg, said her client had been struggling with his mental health at the time and had turned to illegal drugs to cope.

Judge Howard Crowson said: “You both know, I’m sure, you have both been in prison, that drugs in prison are a particular problem. They cause discipline issues, they are of great value, give power to those who have them, cause death to other people - there are all sorts of problems associated with drugs in prison.”

Blagg was sentenced to 12-months, suspended for 18-months. The 45-year-old was also ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Ali was sentenced to 11 months in custody to run alongside the life sentence he is already serving for murder.

In August this year, Ali and Joey Matthews were sentenced for the callous murder of Carl Eland when they smashed into him with a car while he was cycling through Middlesbrough.

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The same court heard how the pair took the fortuitous opportunity to exact revenge their drug dealing rival riding his bike with his partner on the handlebars.

The pair were in a Vauxhall Insignia, which they had bought just two day earlier, that was deliberately driven at the couple as a drugs feud boiled over on August 21, 2021.

Mr Eland died four days later after suffering fatal head injuries. His partner, Kassi Weir, was also thrown from the bike but only suffered minor injuries.