Man jailed for 18 months over 2005 conspiracy to smuggle heroin into prison

Schembri had been accused of conspiring with Raymond Gerada, a prison warder at the time, to traffic heroin inside Corradino Correctional Facility

(File photo)
(File photo)

Christopher Schembri from Ħamrun was jailed for 18 months and fined €1,500 by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, who was only recently assigned to the case which had been reassigned several times over the years.

Schembri had been accused of conspiring with Raymond Gerada, a prison warder at the time, to traffic heroin inside Corradino Correctional Facility. The court had heard how a sachet containing heroin had been found in Gerada’s wallet when he had been searched by his colleagues. 

The police had questioned Gerada, who had been working at Corradino for 12 years at the time. He told them that Schembri, a former inmate whom he had met during Schembri’s stint behind bars, had handed him a plastic sachet, asking him to give it to Schembri’s father-in-law. Gerada had admitted to suspecting that it contained some sort of illegal substance, but denied receiving, or being promised, anything in return. The prison guard had faced separate charges in relation to this incident.

In his testimony, Schembri had denied ever supplying any drugs to his father-in-law. The father-in-law, on the other hand, had told the court that he had never asked anyone to smuggle drugs into prison. 

The court also heard the testimony of a social worker who confirmed that Schembri had once followed a heroin rehabilitation programme.

The court, having seen the evidence and heard the testimony of several witnesses, found Gerada’s account to be more credible, concluding that the accused had handed him the drugs to supply his father-in-law.

In her considerations on punishment, the magistrate took into account the fact that, over the years, Schembri had been convicted for several offences, including theft, voluntary damage, carrying an unlicensed weapon, as well as for slightly injuring a person.

Schembri had enticed a prison official into smuggling drugs inside a place intended for reform and rehabilitation, said the court, also taking into account the progress the accused had made in overcoming his drug addiction in handing down the 18 month sentence and fine.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Theuma prosecuted.