Vaughan Hunt: Long Bay prison guard enters plea for smuggling drugs, phones
A disgraced prison guard who worked at one of Sydney’s biggest prisons has entered a plea for smuggling a wide range of drugs into the jail.
Southern Courier
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A disgraced former prison guard who smuggled meth, cocaine, steroids and iPhones into Long Bay Correctional Centre to fund his out-of-control gambling habit has pleaded guilty in court.
Vaughan Hunt, 28, worked at Long Bay prison from 2016 until 2019 when he was arrested and charged for serious misconduct.
The agreed facts stated between July and October 2019 inmates would give him phone numbers of people outside the prison – including family members – who he would meet to collect packages and receive payments.
He would then smuggle the packages into prison and leave contraband in inmates’ cells.
“Sometimes the scanners would sound as he walked through with the packages concealed but he would still be allowed through,” the agreed facts stated.
Correctional officers uncovered a wide range of contraband in inmates’ cells during an investigation into Hunt.
That included almost 10g of cocaine, 5g of meth, two iPhones and chargers, 92 strips of the drug Suboxone (commonly used to treat opioid addiction), steroids, tobacco and lighters, other prescription drugs, and even a mini hand drill set.
“Overall there were 12 transactions and 12 deliveries by (Hunt) and he delivered roughly 40 packages into Long Bay being paid a total of $12,000,” the agreed facts stated.
“He put about $4000 or $5000 into the bank but eventually used all of it on gambling.”
The agreed facts stated his gambling addiction had reached such a height during his offending that he was gambling away up to $2000 a fortnight.
He appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to agent corruptly receive benefit and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime.
A third charge of holder of public office misconduct him or herself was withdrawn.
Hunt remains on bail and his matter will be mentioned again in the NSW District Court in late November.
Hunt told police, after his arrest, he did not know what was inside each package when he smuggled them into jail.