A prison officer accused of taking mobile phones, sim cards and chargers into a jail has appeared in court.

Jake Belfield is said to have taken the devices into HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey in June 2020, where he is said to have handed them over to a serving prisoner.

The 31-year-old was charged with two counts of misconduct in public office and appeared before magistrates in Medway on July 9.

Belfield, of Elysium Park Close, Whitfield, Dover, didn’t enter any pleas to the charges, as the offences need to be dealt with in the crown court, but his barrister, Laura Stockdale, told magistrates her client was going to plead guilty when the case gets to the higher court.

She said: “I would ask the indication of the guilty plea can be put on the record with this court.”

Because the offences he’s been charged with are indictable only, magistrates only heard brief details about the offences and were told Belfield is said to have taken four mobile devices, two sim cards, an SD card and four charging leads into the prison.

The bench was also told the prisoner who was said to have been given the devices was 34-year-old Matthew Parsons, who had also been charged over the matters.

Parsons, was charged with possessing an item in prison without authority and causing a transmission from a prison without authority and appeared at the same court on the same day via video link.

He didn’t enter any pleas and his case was also sent to the crown court to be dealt with.

Both are set to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on August 5 for a preliminary hearing.