Mother-daughter duo jailed for plotting against prisoner

A mother and daughter from the UK have been sentenced to prison for helping a criminal find another prisoner they believed was a 'snitch.' Jada Wilson, 25, who worked at HMP Featherstone prison, and her mother Ezerine Manning, 44, provided sensitive information to Ashley Wilkin, 38. Wilkin was seeking revenge against Hekta Autsa, a drug smuggler detained at HMP Belmarsh. Wilson and Manning confirmed Autsa's location to Wilkin, who had previously plotted to import large amounts of methamphetamine from Mexico. The drugs, valued between £2.8 million and £4.4 million, were seized by the UK Border Force in October 2023. Autsa knew the drugs had been intercepted but did not inform his co-conspirators before his arrest, leading Wilkin to mistakenly think Autsa was cooperating with authorities. In court, Judge Sarah Buckingham stated that there had been a misunderstanding. Wilkin believed Autsa was a 'snitch' and made threats against him. Manning, who was related to Wilkin, contacted him to find Autsa's whereabouts, leading to the release of sensitive information. Both women admitted to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and were sentenced to over two years in prison. The judge noted that the harm intended could have been serious, but Autsa remains unharmed. The defense argued that Wilson and Manning were typically law-abiding citizens who fell victim to manipulative criminals. They claimed that Manning faced significant personal difficulties, which led her to seek comfort in drugs and accept help from Wilkin. However, the judge emphasized that both women had made their own choices and should face the consequences. Wilkin, currently in prison, is set to be sentenced at a later date.