Two men were part of a conspiracy to smuggle drugs and other banned items into prisons via drones.
Zak Mortimer and Nathan Slemen appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, June 19 via video link from HMP Liverpool and HMP Altcourse for drug offences and conveyance of prohibited articles into prison.
The court heard how Mortimer and Slemen were childhood friends and Slemen was even living at Mortimer's mum's house after becoming homeless and acted as a "de facto carer" to her. The drug smuggling conspiracy was said to have occurred for around a year in 2022.
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Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said Mortimer used 13 phones and was linked to a further 14 phones that were used in prison. He told the court how on January 17, 2022, three police officers spotted Mortimer and Slemen, who were on electric bikes, at a Liverpool petrol station acting suspiciously.
A police officer asked to search Mortimer but were unable to detain him. However, the 43-year-old dropped a mobile phone and when this was examined it was found to be linked to the flight path of a drone to HMP Liverpool.
This involved the delivery of a package which was inside a sock and had cocaine, ketamine and cannabis inside. Text messages were also found on Mortimer's mobile from a phone used inside the prison.
One text said: "You be ready tonight?" The phone linked to Mortimer replied with a smiley face. Another message linked to Mortimer's phone said: "Ready in an hour" and added they would ring when they leave.
CCTV footage was played to the court of one the incidents and showed the drone delivering a package. An arm can be seen bringing the package into the prison.
A prison officer found the package and it contained items such as cannabis, cannabis resin, tobacco and phone chargers. Throughout a number of months similar occurrences would happen where drones would deliver packages, some successful and others not. Phones linked to Mortimer and Slemen, 45, would be in contact with phones inside the prison.
A search was carried out at the house of Mortimer's mum and a trolley belonging to her contained a blue package containing drugs and drone parts. Things between the friends boiled over on May 1 last year when Mortimer attacked Slemen.
The dad-of-seven was in a taxi on the way to Southport with his partner and children when he spotted Slemen. CCTV footage played to the court showed Mortimer punching Slemen who falls to the ground.
The clip showed the 43-year-old continue with blows and also kicking Slemen while he is on the floor. An off-duty nurse and her daughter, who is also a nurse, stepped in and stopped the attack.
Mortimer pleaded guilty to section 20 assault and his defence, Stephen McNally, said he acknowledged it was an "unpleasant incident which he regrets and exercises remorse to Mr Slemen".
He added: "He expresses regret for the loss of friendship of around 40 years before these offences". As a result of the attack Slemen now suffers from a limp and struggles to walk which will now be permanent.
The court heard how "things went quiet until September". Mr Pickavance said on September 13 Mortimer "reappears" and once again is linked with drones delivering packages of contraband to prison.
On September 20, police saw two men "putting something into a bag" and found a drone, a drone controller and other items which had been flown in the Bolton area. When Mortimer's phone was checked it was also found to be in the same place.
A police officer searched an address in Wigan linked to Mortimer and he was found hiding in the loft. A drone was found attached to a computer with a "drone hacks" program running.
Mr Pickavance said this program "overrides the GPS limitations" which would usually stop a drone from entering areas such as prisons. An officer took a picture of this and this address was once again searched on October 14 but the drone was gone.
However, the computer was linked to a Facebook login belonging to Mortimer and the program drone hacks. Over the period of the conspiracy there were understood to be 45 incidents of drones being flown to HMP Liverpool.
The court heard 16 of these were successful, 10 were not verified and 19 were disrupted or caught. Mr Pickavance said Mortimer "played a crucial role to these conspiracies" and Slemen was "clearly Mortimer's assistant".
Mr McNally, defending Mortimer, said he "accepted the facts" of the prosecution but said he became involved with the conspiracy because "of that particular skill" - hacking and flying drones. He added Mortimer also had issues with drugs.
Michael Hagerty, defending Slemen, said he had a "significant drug problem in the past prior to the involvement" of this conspiracy. He added Slemen was working at Home Bargains but during the pandemic worked long hours and "often seven days a week" which led to a physical and mental breakdown.
He said: "He was in a tenancy and could not pay the rent and became homeless. As a result he stayed at friends and sofa surfed and then lived with Zak Mortimer's mum. Mr Slemen was a lifelong friend of Mr Mortimer."
Mr Hegarty said Mortimer's mum had health issues and he agreed to live with her as it was a place to stay and acted as a "de facto carer" for her. He said it was at this time Slemen "slipped into" his problems once again. However, since being in custody he's been free from drugs.
Slemen's defence said he played a role of Mortimer's "assistant". The court heard how Slemen's involvement in the conspiracy stopped in May 2022. The incidents in September were linked to Mortimer.
The court also heard the issue of whether Mortimer was the one controlling the drones or directing the person flying them would not make a difference to his sentence. Mortimer and Slemen are due to be sentenced on Friday, June 23.
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