Overview
- Thomas McMahon admitted bringing 14 white, oval painkiller tablets into HMP Full Sutton to pass to his son, an event that took place during a visit on June 22 last year.
- Prison staff grew suspicious after seeing McMahon place an item into a crisp packet and rotate identical packets on the table, and CCTV footage later showed the packet being moved before officers found the tablets.
- Hull Crown Court sentenced McMahon to a six‑month suspended prison term, 120 hours of unpaid work, and 15 days of rehabilitation activity and banned him from visiting his son.
- Prosecutors accepted the pills were a prescribed pain medication but said such drugs are commonly abused and bought and sold inside prisons, a point the judge used to stress the broader security risk.
- The intended recipient was Joseph Peers, who is serving a life term with a 41‑year minimum for his role in the 2022 murder of Ashley Dale, and court reporting noted McMahon has 23 prior convictions and says the visit ban has caused him emotional distress.