A PRISONER serving time for stalking and assault hid a phone in his cell in order to contact his Southampton family during the pandemic, a court heard.
Serving inmate at Dorset's HMP Portland, Lewis Ball-Smith, 22, was escorted to a room for a search following a tip-off that he had a mobile phone at 8.45am on August 14, 2020.
Prosecuting, Richard Oakley, explained the ‘serious offence’ to Weymouth Magistrates’ Court.
He said: “The defendant entered a cell and asked for a tissue and bag and he provided a mobile phone and handed this over to the prison officers.
“He admitted the mobile phone belonged to him.”
Ball-Smith is currently serving a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for stalking, assaulting a man with a tyre iron and being in possession of cocaine and heroin. He was jailed in November 2019.
Mr Rigby, mitigating, explained Ball-Smith's family, who reside in Southampton, have had ‘an ongoing problem with travelling’ and limited chances to visit. Ball-Smith wanted to keep in touch with them via the phone, he told the court.
Mr Rigby continued: “With the usage of the mobile phone, the pandemic, which has had an effect on the world, it has also had an impact on people in prison and he says it was to maintain family contact.
“There were three phones to be used between 60 inmates and limited 10 minutes usage each time.
“He used the mobile phone to keep in contact with his Mum, Dad and sister.”
Mr Rigby added that his imprisonment has given Ball-Smith an opportunity to address his criminal behaviour and plans to ‘go straight’.
He said: “He is serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence and it has given him time to reflect.
“I have asked him what his plans are after release and he tells me he has been doing courses in prison, namely waste management course and level 1 and 2 in maths and he also wants to do a business class.
“We discussed that and how to make an honest living. He says he’s had enough of crime and wants to go straight.”
Ball-Smith was issued an eight-week prison sentence to run concurrently with his existing imprisonment. He was ordered to pay £128 victim surcharge and the device will be destroyed.
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