Prison officer admits smuggling charge
File image. © Andrew Bardwell
An experienced corrections officer has admitted he was paid up to $3000 to smuggle compressed blocks of tobacco into Christchurch Men’s Prison inside his underwear for an inmate.
Sixty-year-old Raymond Heperi Harris faces a possible term of home or community detention after pleading guilty in the Christchurch District Court yesterday to a charge of breaching the Corrrections Act’s rules about unauthorised deliveries.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of a year’s imprisonment but Judge Jane Farish told Harris she was considering an electronically monitored sentence, and ordered the necessary report for sentences of home or community detention.
He is on bail pending sentence on September 10, after originally denying the charge but changing his plea to guilty at a pre-trial call yesterday.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Dave Murray told the court Harris had joined the Corrections Department in 2001.
During his time as a prison guard, he struck up a relationship with an inmate inside the prison, and while escorting him on day paroles.
The day paroles were to the inmate’s parole sponsors, who were the parents of the inmate’s partner at the time.
Between June and September 2012, while on day visits to the sponsors’ address, the partner supplied tobacco to the inmate who would then compress it in a vice in the garage for easier concealment.
The inmate then handed the compressed tobacco to Harris who hid it in his underwear to smuggle it into the prison when he returned with the inmate. He gave it to the inmate once they were inside.
This happened three times.
Sergeant Murray said that at least twice more, Harris picked up packets of tobacco from the partner’s letterbox after she had texted him, and also took that into the prison where he gave it to the inmate.
For taking tobacco into the prison during this time, the inmate paid Harris between $2500 and $3000.
Harris declined to make any comment or explanation when he was questioned by the police.
He has no previous convictions. He resigned as a prison officer after being questioned, and before the charge was laid.
Category: News
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