An inmate who coordinated the transport of dangerous drugs from his cell was sentenced to a long prison term.

Jordan Burke was serving a nine-year prison sentence for robbery when he began dealing Spice on a commercial scale, pulling the strings of others outside using an illegally seized phone later found hidden in a doorway.

He was caught after police launched an investigation into the deaths of three people who had taken the drug, but it is not alleged that he was responsible for supplying the drugs that led to the deaths.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Burke, 29, of Walker, Newcastle, was sentenced to nine years in prison in January 2019 and admitted conspiracy to supply Spice between November 2020 and October 2021. He also admitted possessing a prohibited phone and sending photographs from HMP Northumberland.

Sentencing him to two years and six months in prison, Judge Mark McKone said: “You coordinated the sale of Spice from your prison cell. It is a Class B drug which can be very dangerous.”

“This investigation has been launched because three people recently died in Newcastle as a result of consuming Spice. I am not judging you on the basis that you supplied Spice which killed people.

“It was sold outside the prison. You were using a phone with three SIM cards. A phone was found hidden in the doorway of your cell.

“You contacted people to deliver drugs to street dealers, and they supplied the streets with Spice. Mass messages were sent out to let people know drugs were available. Dealers would contact you when they ran out of drugs for what you called a refill.

“When dealers were arrested or there was a falling out with them, you got new dealers and told people who the dealers were.”

The court heard that police seized a total of three kilos of spice during raids.

Burke pleaded guilty to becoming addicted to Spice while in prison and owing money for it. He was given a phone to sell the drug and pay off his debts. The plea agreement said he also used the phone to contact his partner and did not always have it with him. He also said he was frequently attacked while in prison.

The court heard that the 29-year-old, who has 77 previous convictions, was also sentenced to 14 months in prison last July for possessing a mobile phone and an offensive weapon in prison.

His defence said he had been in care as a youngster and had a difficult start in life but was in a “supportive relationship” and had ambitions to become a forklift driver. The judge said Burke had not been at the top of the supply chain.

Katie Spence, defending, said his two children were “heartbroken” that he would not be released as quickly as they had hoped. She added: “He is incredibly remorseful. He is desperate to get out and start his life over.”