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29 September, 2026
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Inmate used Brighton medical appointment to try to smuggle drugs into prison

Former Portslade man told girlfriend to hide stash in hospital toilets

by Jo Wadsworth
Monday 22 Apr, 2024 at 4:49PM
A A
8
Inmate used Brighton medical appointment to try to smuggle drugs into prison

An inmate used a hospital appointment in Brighton as a way to try to smuggle drugs into Lewes Prison.

Michael Beirne, 41, phoned his girlfriend from the prison and told her to leave cocaine and ketamine in the men’s toilets at the Sussex Eye Hospital.

Beirne, formerly of Dean Gardens, Portslade, and Bronte Drive, in Stone Cross, Pevensey, was due to be seen at the hospital, in Eastern Road, Brighton, on Wednesday 31 August 2022.

His appointment was pushed back a day so he called Lucy D’Cruze and told her to fetch the drugs and go back the next day to hide them once again.

Police said: “Beirne instructed D’Cruze to put class A drugs, namely cocaine and ketamine, in the male toilets at the Sussex Eye Hospital so that a prisoner could collect them and smuggle them into prison.

“A prison officer escorting the individual found the drugs on searching the toilets and the drugs were prevented from entering the prison.”

Sussex Eye Hospital

Beirne, of Rochester Prison, in Kent, and 47-year-old D’Cruze, of Bronte Drive, Stone Cross, were sentenced on Friday (19 April) by Judge Jeremy Gold at Brighton Crown Court.

Both had pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle prohibited drugs into a prison on behalf of a prisoner.

Judge Gold jailed Beirne for 15 months to be served consecutively to a 75-month prison sentence for a series of knifepoint robberies in Eastbourne in May 2022. He had been due for release in just over a year.

D’Cruze was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation activity.

The pair were charged last September after an investigation by the South East Regional Prisons Intelligence Team (SERPIT).

The police said that the case was “an example of the ongoing collaborative” work between the prison service and the specialist police team.

SERPIT added: “Anyone attempting to organise the supply of drugs into (prisons) should be warned that they will be identified and prosecuted.”

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Comments 8

  1. STAN REID says:
    2 years ago

    This is why druggies need telephones, otherwise inside business will come to a standstill with little or no profit,

    Reply
    • Bert says:
      2 years ago

      Do you have a cell number for any inmates as I gagging for a smoke?

      Reply
  2. Andrew Hobbs says:
    2 years ago

    He was an idiot,Cos he used the prison phone!
    Which everyone knows are recorded and listened
    To by the screws.
    Rochester prison is full of illicit mobile phones.
    Why did he not use one of those.

    Reply
  3. black pussy says:
    2 years ago

    The inmates must be a bit silly not to realise that their phone conversations are listened to by the prison officers

    Reply
  4. Hoveperson says:
    2 years ago

    What is the point of a consecutive sentence? What bother with a trial if a conviction won’t result in anything further b3ing added to an existing sentence?

    Reply
    • Bert says:
      2 years ago

      Obviously a conspiracy because a consecutive sentence means if you add the two sentences together,you can then divide that by 3 ,then add on time served which should result in a total sentence that always ends on a tuesday.however if it’s not a Tuesday it returns to court and can be adjusted to a Friday morning..(depending on which month, obviously)..I’m my experience of HMP service most inmates tend to be innocent ,again the government lock up those whom don’t conform as kids thus ending up behind bars simply because they may have broken the law …it’s so unfair,it’s against human rights and gives me anxiety which i will try to make a claim for..!!!
      Please donate and consider” lbtxjdunqq” and bldm and “river to the sea “blah blah.

      Reply
  5. Bert says:
    2 years ago

    It’s a set up..the officers involved put the drugs there and then tried to pretend it was a unisex , trans loo.thus only weirdos can take a dump while eating cornflakes
    You know what I mean . especially if the hospital had been funded by Israel…
    Please advise??

    Reply
    • Dave says:
      2 years ago

      I can advise that you’re a fool.

      Reply

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