A dad-of-three caught red-handed throwing mobile phones, cigarettes and booze into a prison, has been given a six-month sentence.

Shane Rule was spotted by guards at HMP Rochester hurling two packages over the wall.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 36 year old was caught on CCTV.

Inside the packages were eight mobile phones and charging cables, 10 SIM cards, 27 packets of tobacco, 16 packets of Rizla papers, a bottle of vodka, 44 tablets of pregabalin and a packet of diazepam.

Another man is due to stand trial later this year on similar charges.

Prosecutor David Jones said: "He was seen to be carrying a plastic carrier bag and put his hood up before he threw two substantial parcels over the wall.

"Prison officers were clocking off at the time and their suspicions were aroused.

"They were able to detain the men, having invited them back into the prison to await the arrival of police."

Rule, who has 89 previous convictions, admitted two offences of conveying an article into prison in January 2019.

The prosecutor added Rule claimed on arrest he had acted under duress but police found messages on his phone which showed he was in it "for profit".

He added: "You may conclude it was a rather substantial haul and the value of the items inside prison would have been significant."

Last March, Rule was jailed for 58 months for unrelated offences of burglary, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and theft.

Philip Rowley, defending, said Rule, of Boundary Road, Chatham, became involved in trying to pass on the contraband to inmates shortly after being released from a previous sentence.

The trainee bricklayer was jailed for six months, and was told it will be served consecutively to his current jail term.

Judge Philip Statman told him: "You knew how serious this stash of prohibited items was. Phones, SIM cards and tobacco are all prized items in prison."