Gregory Sterling caught with mobile phone at Bullingdon

Gregory Sterling, who is serving at HMP Bullingdon near Bicester, was caught in his cell chatting on a mobile, which is a prohibited item.

At his sentencing on Tuesday, Oxford Crown Court heard how the 36-year-old had admitted sharing the phone, a SIM card and charger with his cellmate and using it to call and message family and friends.

Prosecuting, Nutan Fatania told the court Sterling did not have an extensive record but noted that the convictions he does have are for serious offences including robbery, two rape offences, sexual offences and actual bodily harm.

Gregory, whose listed address is HMP Bullingdon, appeared via video link from the prison.

Miss Fatania said the defendant, who has a teenage daughter, had been caught with a mobile phone previously, for which he is currently serving a six-month sentence.

She told the court on that occasion he was found to be harbouring a phone between his buttocks, discovered when prison officers ordered him to 'squat'.

This time he was caught on May 27 by a prison officer during patrols, who saw Sterling talking on the phone on his bed.

Defending, Julian Lynch said: "Mr Sterling said the phone wasn't brought into prison for him or on his behalf, but by his cellmate.

"The biggest punishment relates to the delay of his release - if not for these mobile phone offences, he would have been release around about now."

He said Sterling had arranged accommodation and employment as a labourer upon his release, and wanted to start 'rebuilding his life'.

He added: "The loss of that progress is really significant to him.

"He knows he has brought this about himself but he is anxious about the future."

Judge Ian Pringle said mobiles were a 'scourge' in prisons and handed Sterling an eight-month sentence, to run consecutively to his previous sentence.

Judge Pringle also ordered the destruction and forfeiture of the prohibited items and said Sterling must pay a victim surcharge.