Woman jailed for conveying drugs into prison

A 61-year-old woman who snuck drugs into a prison has been jailed for more than six years.

Tanya Petrie, from Worle, has been jailed after a jury found her guilty at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 12 February of conspiring to bring or convey a list A prohibited article in a prison.

She previously pleaded guilty to conveying a list B prohibited article into a prison. She was sentenced on Monday 16 February to six years and three months in prison.

The court heard how Petrie, who was working as a pharmacy technician working at HMP Bristol, was observed by police at 6.30am on 17 October 2023 retrieving an item from a wheelie bin in the front garden of a property in Somerdale Avenue in Bristol.

One of the occupants of the property in Somerdale Avenue was Casey Collins, 23 and from Knowle West, who was responsible for placing the item in the bin for Petrie to collect.

Petrie then attended her workplace at HMP Bristol where she was detained, searched, and subsequently arrested on suspicion of being part of a conspiracy to take prohibited items into a prison.

During a search in custody, Petrie informed officers she had a package on her person and handed the officer a cling film-wrapped package.

This was later discovered to contain four packages of class B drugs, two packages of class A drugs (cocaine) and tobacco.

Officers then conducted in-depth data analysis and identified two phone numbers which were being used within the prison.

The phone was linked to prisoner Kyle Joyner, 32, and officers discovered he had been using the phone to contact Collins.

Further investigative enquiries led police to believe Petrie had made an earlier trip to Somerdale Avenue on the morning of 9 October 2023. In interview, Petrie stated she had taken money from the wheelie bin which she used to purchase SIM cards from a local garage. She then snuck this into the prison and gave it to a prisoner.

Joyner, Collins and Petrie were all charged in the summer of 2024.

Joyner and Collins pleaded guilty to conveying listed A prohibited items into the prison in January 2025 and were jailed for three years and two years and four months respectively. For Joyner, this sentence will be served in additional to his existing prison sentence of eight years and eight months.

Senior Investigating Officer, DI Tim Seaman from the Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “This case shows the proactive and determined work carried out by our team and our partners to uncover and dismantle a criminal conspiracy operating both inside and outside the prison walls.

“By working closely with colleagues at HMP Bristol, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption and the Regional Prison Corruption team within the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, we were able to swiftly identify the actions of a member of staff who was abusing her position of trust to smuggle dangerous drugs and illicit items into the prison.

“Such actions enable organised crime, fuel violence, and undermine the hard work of honest staff who dedicate themselves to running secure and rehabilitative environments.

“This investigation sends a clear message: our investigations into organised crime will identify those who facilitate organised criminality and we will work tirelessly with our partners, and use every tactic available to bring those involved in corruption to justice – regardless of their role or position.”