A cocaine mule who once smuggled £10 million of drugs in a lorry full of Belgian waffles has admitted having an Xbox with illegal internet access in Perth Prison.
Ellis Hardy appeared by video link at Perth Sheriff Court to plead guilty to having the adapted console in his cell.
Serving a five-year sentence after shifting millions of pounds worth of cocaine hidden in a waffle lorry, Londoner Hardy had been given the games console by another prisoner who was being liberated.
However, it had a secret circuit board allowing forbidden access to the internet.
Prison issue Xbox
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton told the court authorities were instructed to recover the prison-issue Xbox from father-of-five Hardy’s cell.
“It was seized for examination.
“It was discovered it had been used to access services on the internet.”
Inside the console was a “small circuit board” and a wifi card.
“It appears the Xbox belongs to the prison,” he added.
Hardy, 44, from London, admitted that on March 23 he had an internet and wifi-enabled Xbox in prison.
Struggling away from family
Hardy’s solicitor said: “He had an Xbox issued to him by the prison.
“His Xbox, he advises, had broken and another prisoner who was due for release had provided him with the Xbox with the circuit board.
“He accepts he had the item in his possession.
“He was, shortly after this offence, moved to HMP Shotts.”
The solicitor added: “He has been downgraded to a low security prisoner.
“He has gained employment in the wood assembly shed.
“Mr Hardy, whilst in England, has received a number of custodial sentences.
“He has no offences in custody in England.
“This he has found to be an extremely difficult sentence.
“His family stay in London. He has not had a visit with them since he has been incarcerated in Scotland and he has struggled.”
Sheriff William Gilchrist granted forfeiture of the console and added two months to Hardy’s sentence.
His earliest date of liberation had been July 26 2026.
Just desserts
Hardy was one of four members of a serious organised crime group jailed last year after £10m of cocaine was found during a raid in Renfrewshire.
The drugs were being smuggled in a lorry which was transporting Belgian waffles.
Hardy, along with his cousin Wayne Smith, James Davidson and David Mullarkey, were intercepted by detectives on a Glasgow industrial estate in June 2019.
They had been moving the 30kg high-purity haul from the HGV to a van in the Hillingdon industrial estate, where Mullarkey ran a designer kitchen business.
The lorry did contain £15,000 worth of Belgian waffles but the drugs had been hidden in specially-adapted compartments.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page or join us on Facebook.
