Thomas Cashman, jailed for Olivia’s murder, faces new charges after drugs and a phone were found in his cell.
People suspect a drone dropped the contraband into the prison. Long Lartin prison is near Evesham in Worcestershire. One source indicated Cashman was selling drugs and acting like a “top dog” inside the prison. He appears to be continuing his drug dealing activities even while incarcerated.
Before prison, Cashman sold drugs in Liverpool. He earned up to £5,000 weekly from this activity. In August 2022, he shot and killed Olivia at her home while chasing a rival dealer and another man that night.
He received a life sentence for murder and must serve at least 42 years. Now, he is suspected of dealing drugs while in jail. The prison wing went on lockdown Tuesday while staff thoroughly searched his cell.
During the search, they found cocaine, cannabis, and an iPhone in his cell. People believe a drone smuggled the drugs to him. He may have used the phone to plan drone drops.
As a result, Cashman may lose certain privileges and could also face additional prison time. The prison holds serious offenders, including some with life sentences. A report previously labeled the security systems as “unreliable”.
Inspectors reported seeing 86 drones flying near the jail and stopped 31 packages from the drones. Illegal items also entered the prison via staff and visitors. New rules have since banned drones near jails, creating a restricted zone of 400 yards.
A former police chief commented on the situation, stating that it seems wrong for Cashman to be able to earn money in jail, which only increases the pain for Olivia’s family. He emphasized that prisoners should not have access to drugs while in prison and that drones pose a considerable threat to prison security, requiring substantial improvement.
The Ministry of Justice did not comment specifically on Cashman’s case. However, they noted the new government inherited a crisis and many security measures are in place. These measures help them seize contraband, and they have teams dedicated to combating drugs and crime. Anyone smuggling items into prison will be punished, they stated.