Prisoner had improvised knife at Barnard Castle prison

The discovery of both unauthorised items has resulted in a longer stretch behind bars for Jordan Burke, who is already serving a nine-year sentence.

Burke received the sentence at Newcastle Crown Court in January 2019 for a robbery offence in which he used a hammer, breaking a man’s jaw outside a takeaway restaurant.

Durham Crown Court was told the defendant has been serving the sentence at Deerbolt, near Barnard Castle, formerly solely a Young Offenders’ Institution, but which now also houses adult inmates.

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Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said an illicit package was found near to the prison wall on June 6, last year, and, on examination of CCTV, two items were seen being thrown over the perimeter wall by an unknown male.

One of the packages, the one later discovered, fell short and landed between the perimeter and an inner wall, but a second, which cleared both walls, was picked up by the defendant.

Burke’s cell was searched on July 29, 2021, and a small smartphone was found, but prison staff also recovered an improvised knife, a razor blade moulded into a plastic utensil handle.

He was interviewed on August 9, last year, and went on to admit possessing the unauthorised phone and knife in prison when he appeared before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court, on June 28.

The case was sent for sentence at the crown court where Burke appeared by video link from HMP/YOI  Deerbolt today (Wednesday, July 26).

Mr Abrahams said the defendant has 37 convictions for 77 offences, mainly for violence and dishonesty, dating from 2008, as a juvenile.

Tony Davis, in mitigation, said Burke pleaded guilty to the latest offences at the first opportunity.

He described the unauthorised items as “fairly typical” of the type found in prison, in such cases.

“The saving grace is that there was no evidence of it (the makeshift bladed article) having been used or produced to threaten anyone.

“These offences are now almost 14 months old and I don’t understand why it has taken so long to come to court.

“The reality is that the evidence was plainly available to the authorities from the moment of discovery.”

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Mr Davis said the defendant’s offender manager report states that he had, “a relatively troubled past”, but, since the offences were committed, he has been working with the counselling services available to him for the past few months to address “unresolved issues” from his childhood days.

The court was told the defendant’s earliest release date from the 2019 sentence is some time next year.

Recorder Peter Makepeace KC said it appears that having been found in prison under the influence of drugs, the suspicion was that the package recovered by Burke also contained illicit substances as well as the mobile phone.

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He said such offences, committed in custodial settings, are so serious they should never be dealt with merely through the internal prison disciplinary process, but always by the courts.

Recorder Makepeace said the defendant’s criminal record is, “particularly bad”, but, given his progress with the counselling service offered to him, “it may be hoped the underlying cause of your offending may be resolved.”

He imposed a total of 14 months’ imprisonment for the two prison offences and said it should be consecutive to the robbery sentence Burke is already serving, meaning it will only begin on completion of the nine-year term.