Prison officer who helped smuggle cocaine into convicted murderer’s cell facing jail time
Prison officer, 31, who helped smuggle cocaine and a mobile phone into convicted murderer’s cell at maximum-security jail after ‘forming a close relationship’ is now facing time behind bars herself
- Heather McKenzie was working at HMP Shotts when she teamed up with convicted murderer Zak Malavin to supply drugs to inmates
- McKenzie will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on February 23
A prison officer is facing time behind bars after helping to smuggle cocaine into one of Scotland’s most notorious maximum-security jails.
Heather McKenzie was working at HMP Shotts – home to some of the country’s most hardened criminals – when she teamed up with convicted murderer Zak Malavin to supply drugs to inmates.
Prison officials and police started an investigation after noticing a significant rise in the quantities of drugs being found in the jail – and receiving a tip-off about possible staff corruption.
Intelligence suggested McKenzie, 31, was illegally bringing drugs and mobile phones into the prison.
Heather McKenzie (pictured) was working at HMP Shotts – home to some of the country’s most hardened criminals – when she teamed up with a convicted murderer
Zak Malavin who is serving life for murdering a man in a park by attacking him with a sword, was found to have an iPhone, 1.45g of cocaine and a sleeping pill in his cell
Malavin, serving life for murdering a man in a park by attacking him with a sword, was found to have an iPhone, 1.45g of cocaine and a sleeping pill in his cell when officers searched it in May 2020.
A search the following month uncovered two knotted bags containing a further 5.7g of cocaine, while data on the iPhone revealed texts and calls to McKenzie.
Police later raided McKenzie’s home in Forth, Lanarkshire, and arrested her after finding £2,500 in cash, mobile phones, syringes and trenbolone – a powerful steroid – as well as traces of cocaine and 28g of another drug, benzocaine.
An iPhone found by police had a missed WhatsApp call from a contact named ‘Zak’….
