Garry Cooper, a drug lord leading a £1 million per year county lines operation, was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the killing of Ross Ball in November 2019. He is currently serving his sentence at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire and is petitioning to be moved to a prison closer to his disabled mother’s home in Nottinghamshire due to her physical and mental health conditions. Cooper’s lawyers argue that the Ministry of Justice has not made “reasonable adjustments” to allow his mother to visit him and have breached their right to a family life. He believes it is impossible for his mother to travel long distances to visit him and is seeking a permanent transfer to HMP Lowdham Grange for easier access.
At a recent High Court hearing in London, Cooper’s legal team argued that his mother’s health issues make visiting him at HMP Whitemoor difficult, and have requested his transfer to HMP Lowdham Grange closer to her home. They claim that the previous temporary transfers were unreliable and haphazard, and that video calls are not a feasible alternative for maintaining family contact. The Ministry of Justice opposes Cooper’s transfer, citing his risk profile and the need for him to be held in a high-security facility like Whitemoor, which has greater physical and procedural security measures. The government has apologized for previous communication issues but stands by the decision to keep Cooper in his current prison due to his associations with organized crime and potential threats he faces from other inmates.
Despite Cooper’s attempts to be transferred to a prison near his mother’s home, the Ministry of Justice has argued that the risks he poses and the need for security measures outweigh his family considerations. They have emphasized the need for courses and programs that are only available in high-security facilities like HMP Whitemoor. The hearing in the High Court concluded with the judge indicating that a ruling on Cooper’s transfer request would be made at a later date. The case highlights the complexities of balancing family relationships with the security measures necessary for inmates involved in serious criminal activities like Garry Cooper’s county lines drug operation.
In his £1 million per year county lines operation, Garry Cooper directed a group of individuals to attack Ross Ball at a flat in Nottinghamshire, resulting in Ball’s death. Cooper was sentenced to 29 years in prison for his role in the murder, despite not being physically present at the scene. The gang leader orchestrated the attack to reclaim the property from rivals and punish Ball for his involvement in drug dealing. Cooper’s involvement in organized crime and the violent nature of the attack are factors that the Ministry of Justice considers in their decision to keep him at a high-security prison like HMP Whitemoor. The legal challenge against the government’s refusal to transfer Cooper to a closer prison raises questions about the rights of inmates to maintain family connections and the security concerns associated with violent criminals like Cooper.
