A besotted prison officer who smuggled more than £35,000-worth of synthetic drugs into jail for a convicted gangster she’d fallen in love with has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Olivia Johnson was caught with over £35,000-worth of the synthetic drug ‘spice’ during a random search of staff entering HMP Highpoint in Suffolk in September 2022.
Further investigation discovered she was having an intimate relationship with gangster Javelle Taylor, who was serving a 12-year sentence for firearms offences and that she received 11 separate payments totalling £14,871 from Taylor’s friends and family.
The 27-year-old from Rotherham broke down in tears as the judge, the Recorder Richard Christie KC, told Johnson that her crimes ‘strike at the heart of the integrity of the criminal justice system’.
Passing sentence, He said: ‘As the pre-sentence report put it, the trafficking into the prison and the subsequent use of drugs and mobile telephones in prison undermines the good order and discipline of the establishment, impacts on the health and safety of prisoners, staff and visitors.
‘It undermines rehabilitation of prisoners and supports ongoing criminality, both within the prison and external to the prison.
‘These are sentiments with which I wholeheartedly agree.
‘You both took drugs into the prison and formed a relationship with the prisoner, Javelle Taylor. He was in prison for serious offences.’
Olivia Johnson was caught with over £35,000-worth of the synthetic drug ‘spice’ during a random search of staff entering HMP Highpoint in Suffolk in September 2022
The 27-year-old from Rotherham broke down in tears as the judge, the Recorder Richard Christie KC, told Johnson that her crimes ‘strike at the heart of the integrity of the criminal justice system’
He added: ‘You put the lives of prison officers and prisoners at risk by taking those drugs into prison.’
Johnson had worked at HMP Highpoint for three years before being caught smuggling drugs in a random spot check on September 23, 2022.
Earlier Ipswich Crown Court heard how Johnson tried to turn around and leave the jail when she became aware that staff were being searched.
Prosecuting Counsel Steven Ball told the court: ‘The defendant, Ms Johnson, was previously a prison officer at HMP Highpoint.
‘On 23 September 2022, staff at HMP Highpoint were conducting an operation which involved searching staff members upon their arrival for any prohibited items.
‘At around 7:30am, Ms Johnson attempted to turn around and walk back through the entrance, so as to exit the search area.
‘Ms Johnson said that she needed the toilet. Ms Johnson was not allowed to go to the toilet, after which Ms Johnson again attempted to turn around.
‘The prison manager then took Ms Johnson to speak with the governor, Ms Amanda Vickers.
Johnson had worked at HMP Highpoint for three years before being caught smuggling drugs in a random spot check on September 23, 2022
Earlier Ipswich Crown Court heard how Johnson tried to turn around and leave the jail when she became aware that staff were being searched
‘Ms Vickers asked Ms Johnson if she had anything on her person which she shouldn’t have, and Ms Johnson confirmed that she had something in her bag.
‘Ms Johnson was then taken to a separate searching area, and within Ms Johnson’s bag, a large brown A4 envelope was found.
‘Within the envelope were approximately 100 sheets of spiced substance paper.
‘Ms Johnson was asked what the paper was and she said that she didn’t know, but when it was suggested that this was spice paper she said, “Yes I think so.”
‘Forensic testing of this paper demonstrates that 88 sheets of the paper were stained with a synthetic cannabinoid.
‘As one sheet of this paper is said to be worth £400, the total value of the drugs seized is £35,200.’
Mr Ball told the court that a search of Johnson’s car led to the discovery of a mobile phone which had made a large number of text messages with inmate Javelle Taylor, in which she said she loved him and the pair discussed bringing contraband into the jail.
He said: ‘Ms Johnson was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Station where she was interviewed.
Mr Ball told the court that a search of Johnson’s car led to the discovery of a mobile phone which had made a large number of text messages with inmate Javelle Taylor, in which she said she loved him and the pair discussed bringing contraband into the jail
‘A download of the iPhone recovered from Ms Johnson’s vehicle was taken; of note is a conversation between Ms Johnson and a contact, “J”.
‘It is suggested that this was an inmate at HMP Highpoint by the name of Javelle Taylor.’
Further investigations revealed that Johnson had received ‘suspicious payments in excess of £14,000.’
Mr Ball told the court: ‘An investigation into Ms Johnson’s bank accounts shows a large number of suspicious payments being made to Ms Johnson.
‘Between 1 December 2021 and 5 August 2022, 11 payments totalling £14,461 were made into Ms Johnson’s account by Teagan Turton.
‘Between 6 January 2022 and 1 March 2022, two further payments totalling £410 were made by Deevorn Miller. PC Fox noted that “Deevorn Miller” is listed on Mr Taylor’s prison contacts list as his “cousin” and “friend”.’
Johnson, who was smart black trousers, a black t-shirt, a grey patterned jacket and black loafer shoes, stared blankly ahead of herself as the facts of the case were read out in court.
Her defence counsel Mr Jimmy Ogunshakin told the court that Johnson had been ‘young and naïve’ at the time of the crimes and was ‘very, very sorry’ for what she had done.
Further investigations revealed that Johnson had received ‘suspicious payments in excess of £14,000.’
He told the court: ‘This was a young woman aged 22, in her first job and she found herself in a sticky situation.
‘Certainly she lost her way, and for that she is very, very sorry.’
At a hearing Johnson, 27, admitted one charge of committing misconduct in a public office ‘by forming a relationship with an inmate’ and bringing drugs into HMP Highpoint in Suffolk into exchange for money, at hearing at Ipswich Crown Court last month.
She also admitted being in possession of criminal property in the form of £14,871 and to conspiring to bring Class B drugs into the prison.
The offences took place between December 2021 and September 2022.
The Category C prison has held a number of famous inmates in the past, such as horse racing legend Lester Piggot and international pop stars George Michael and Boy George.
Other well-known former inmates have included shotgun farmer Tony Martin who killed a teenage burglar and Amy Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
Moors murderer Myra Hindley was also held at the prison at the time of her death in 2002, when part of it was a women’s jail.
At a hearing Johnson, 27, admitted one charge of committing misconduct in a public office ‘by forming a relationship with an inmate’ and bringing drugs into HMP Highpoint in Suffolk into exchange for money, at hearing at Ipswich Crown Court last month
Johnson’ conviction is the latest prison officer to be jailed for having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.
Former officer Linda de Soussa Abreu was sentenced to 15 months in January this year for having sex with serial burglar Linton Weirich in his prison cell at HMP Wandsworth.
Katie Evans, 26, embarked on an illicit romance with inmate Daniel Brownley while working at HMP Doncaster, calling herself his ‘queen’ as she lavished him with attention.
The mother-of-one, who was jailed for 21 months in March, boasted about sex acts on the criminal and collecting drugs cash on his behalf.
Her criminal behaviour was exposed during an anti-corruption investigation into another crooked guard at the category B jail.
Morgan Farr Varney, 24, was this month locked up for ten months after being caught slipping into a cupboard with a prisoner while working at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire.
She became besotted with crack cocaine dealer Jordan Stones, 30, who pinned racy snaps of his prison officer lover to his cell walls.
Cherrie-Ann Saddington, 29 smuggled a Calpol syringe into jail to artificially inseminate herself with a prisoner’s sperm.
The shamed officer became obsessed with convicted sex offender Bradley Trengrove after he was moved to HMP The Verne in Dorset.
The female prison warden told Trengrove she was pregnant in November 2022, although she later miscarried after eight weeks.
She was spared jail by a judge in May after being left in a wheelchair from a spinal stroke.
