Megan Woodham was jailed after being found guilty of smuggling drugs into prison (Picture: Merseyside Police)

A healthcare assistant has been jailed for six years after smuggling cocaine and ketamine into a prison where she worked.

Megan Woodham, 30, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine after smuggling it into HMP Risley in Warrington, Cheshire, which she then handed over to inmate Daniel Doran.

She also used her home as a ‘safehouse’ to conceal large quantities of cocaine worth millions of pounds, as part of a wider drug-smuggling ring operating in the area, the Echo reports.

During a previous trial, the court heard how Doran- from Kirkby, Merseyside- was serving a prison sentence at HMP Risley in Warrington between December 2021 and February 2022, while Woodham was working at the jail.

Doran had access to a mobile phone while behind bars, and worked with Woodham and co-defendants Kelsey Higgins and John Butler to traffic and supply ‘a very large quantity of high purity cocaine.’

According to prosecutor David Watson, Woodham managed to strike up ‘some sort of relationship’ with Doran while she was working at the prison, and would ‘willingly assist him’ using her home address to store parcels of drugs.

Daniel Doran (left), Kelsey Higgins, and Megan Woodham, were all found guilty of smuggling cocaine and ketamine (Picture: Merseyside Police / SWNS)

The investigation began following the arrest of John Butler, 27, who was found in possession of 10kg of cocaine with an estimated value of £1 million in January last year.

Merseyside Police stopped a black Volkswagen car being driven by Butler carrying the drugs, and he was jailed for eight years in February after admitting to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

After seizing Butler’s phone, Merseyside police discovered the identities of his co-conspirators, and he was described as having been ‘used to carry out criminal tasks’ by Doran.

The probe also uncovered a ‘separate agreement’ between Woodham and Doran, in which she ‘agreed to assist him by taking delivery of packages of ketamine from his criminal associates’.

She then smuggled these drugs into Risley prison, going undetected thanks to her job, and handed them over to the inmate.

Several days later, Woodham was observed on CCTV in HMP Risley alone in the D wing of the prison where Doran was housed, carrying a bag that she ‘would not normally be expected to have taken onto the wing’.

The mum would also ‘not normally be expected to be on her own in that part of the prison’.

Woodham’s main duties involved carrying out blood tests for prisoners, but Doran was not due to receive one on the day in question. The camera footage showed her approaching his cell and leaning into it, ‘in all likelihood, passing Doran a package of drugs’.

Doran was running a drug ring from behind bars at HMP Risley in Warrington, with the help of Woodham (Picture: Shutterstock)

Some time later, Woodham informed Doran that she had been ‘excluded’ from the jail after suspicions were raised over her behaviour. 

He messaged back to say ‘million per cent need to sort getting the s*** picked up’, which the prosecution said ‘showed that Doran had clearly arranged for drugs to be stored at Woodham’s address’.

Doran, Woodham and associate Kelsey Higgins were all arrested on Valentine’s Day last year and gave no comment under interview.

Doran has a total of 21 prior offences on his record. Brendan Carville, defending, told the court his client was ‘well respected in prison’ and said: ‘He has ruined his life by drugs. He has been a drug addict all his life, and of course he has moved on the supply drugs.’

Plasterer Higgins’ 12 previous convictions for 20 offences include a prison term of 44 months, imposed in 2016 for conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine. 

He said to the judge: ‘I have had time to reflect on my actions and I am truly sorry for this. I would not class myself as a drug dealer.

Appearing on Higgins’ behalf, Paul Becker added his client was a carer for his dad and said: ‘Of course, the defendant misses his children. He is very disappointed by his poor decisions.’

Woodham has no previous convictions. Carmel Wilde described the single mother to a 12-year-old girl as having a ‘caring nature’, saying in her mitigation: ‘She served as a healthcare assistant for some 12 years, including through the traumatic covid times.

‘Ms Woodham took the job in Risley, but became easy prey to sophisticated criminals. She was in a position of trust, but I invite your honour to take into account her vulnerability to hardened criminals.’

Doran, was sentenced to 15 years in jail while Higgins, of Bootle, Merseyside, received 13 and a half years.

Meanwhile, Doran’s mum Valerie Doran was found guilty of money laundering. The 54-year-old, also of Hall Lane, will be sentenced later this month.

Woodham burst into tears as she was handed a six year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, and turned to members of her family in the public gallery and said: ‘I love you.’

Detective sergeant Peter Sloan said: ‘This was a complex investigation which developed from the arrest of Butler and a subsequent investigation resulted from that stop check.

‘Organised crime is hugely damaging to our communities, often involving intimidation, violence and creating fear and it is these criminals who run County Lines.

‘Criminals involved in organised crime have no thought for anyone other than themselves, and their criminal intent and greed.’

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Megan Woodham helped smuggle drugs into prison after striking up a relationship with an inmate.