Three men have been jailed for using a drone to smuggle £6,000 worth of drugs and other contraband into HMP Hindley. The operation was uncovered after an iPhone was seized from inmate Thomas Garcia, revealing evidence of the plot.
Drone Delivery and Investigation
In October 2025, Garcia, 32, coordinated a drone delivery of a 2kg package containing around 1kg of cannabis resin, tobacco, a mobile phone and charger into the prison overnight between Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19. At the time, Garcia was subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) and was in possession of an unregistered mobile phone.
Investigations by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service revealed that Garcia's organised crime group operating in the community were involved in the wider conspiracy.
Roles of the Accomplices
Darren Thomas Harrison, 39, of Pendennis Street, Liverpool, was responsible for supplying the cannabis resin and preparing the drone package. The package was collected from his home address by another group member on the evening of Saturday, October 18. Harrison was identified as an established drug supplier and had been put in contact with others by Garcia to source drugs.
David Andrew Dickinson, 42, from Crosby, acted as a courier. He collected the package from Harrison and delivered it to the vicinity of HMP Hindley using a white Ford Transit on the same evening. Dickinson had also approached Garcia looking to set up his own 'graft phone' to supply cocaine within the community.
Arrests and Sentencing
All three men were arrested on April 29, 2026. During searches of Harrison's address, officers recovered 843g of cannabis bush, with an estimated street value of over £6,000, along with evidence of drug supply activity.
Garcia was charged with conspiracy to convey List A, B & C Articles into a prison, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and breach of a Serious Crime Prevention Order. He was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment to run concurrently with his current sentence.
Harrison was charged with conspiracy to convey List A, B & C Articles into a prison, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possession with intent to supply cannabis. He was sentenced to two years and five months imprisonment.
Dickinson was charged with conspiracy to convey List A, B & C Articles into a prison and conspiracy to supply cannabis. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment. The three men were jailed following a sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, July 3.
Official Statements
Detective Inspector Brian Morley from the NWROCU said: “This was a coordinated and organised attempt to exploit drone technology to deliver drugs and other prohibited items into a prison. Garcia continued to orchestrate serious criminality from behind bars, supported by his associates on the outside who prepared, transported and facilitated the delivery. We know that drugs in prisons fuel violence, debt and further offending, and we will continue to work with partners to disrupt this activity and bring those responsible to justice.”
Minister for Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, said: "Criminal gangs trying to flood our prisons with drugs and contraband are being put on notice. As this case shows, we will hunt you down and put you behind bars. Working side by side with prison staff and the police, our specialist teams are relentlessly targeting the organised crime networks behind this illegal activity. We've already invested £75 million to bolster prison security, including fitting 13,000 steel window grilles on high-risk cells to stop drone deliveries. We’ve also launched an independent review to examine what more is needed to stamp out organised crime, combat drone incursions and protect our prisons against new and evolving threats."
