A prison guard accused of peddling sim cards to inmates in a scam worth thousands told jurors they were gifts to woo a woman called Blackberry who he met on dating site Plenty of Fish.

Jean-Luc Hirwa, of Canterbury, denies smuggling the contraband into Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey during his initial probation period.

But prosecutors told jurors at Canterbury Crown Court the 33-year-old “has been selling” the items after he was found carrying five during a random search.

A total of £2,850 in cash, allegedly connected to the suspected scam, was seized in a subsequent search of Hirwa’s home and car, prosecutor Brinda Soora said.

Hirwa stands trial for conveying a list B prohibited article into prison and possessing criminal property, for his alleged actions in October 2019.

Giving evidence, fellow guard Tony Clarke told how he discovered Hirwa carrying five new EE cards, during a random search in housing block five at 7.40am.

Mr Clarke discovered the items inside the same carrier bag as a can of coke and banana, within a laptop holdall, he explained.

“I said you ‘shouldn’t have these,’” he told jurors.

Mr Clarke argued Hirwa then claimed he was unaware the cards were prohibited and “had been there a long time.”

“I took the banana out of the bag and said it hadn’t been in there a long time.

“It hadn’t gone off, it was fresh,” he told jurors.

Mr Clarke explained Hirwa was escorted to governor Atkins’ office before being placed under arrest.

Kent Police would soon discover £2,850 cash at Hirwa’s home, two mobile phones and a further four packs of new EE sim cards, Ms Soora explained.

But no additional illicit material was found to be in Hirwa’s locker or in his possession, jurors head.

“Upon arrest he said ‘I had it on me, I wasn’t conveying, it was in my shopping bag it was a mistake,’” Ms Soora explained.

And Hirwa claimed he previously bought the sim cards for a woman named “Blackberry”, with the lion’s share of the cash intended for his son, the court heard.

But after the devices were forensically examined “there was no reference to a person named Blackberry,” the prosecutor said.

“The defendant has been taking sim cards into HMP Elmley, he has been selling them,” Ms Soora continued.

Yet Hirwa told jurors he met Blackberry on dating site Plenty of Fish and would buy her sim cards as gifts for her job.

Asked why he repeatedly bought Blackberry sims worth £10, he said: "I liked the girl I wanted to impress her," he said.

He claimed he forgot placing the cards into his lunch bag the day before work while cleaning his car, and "didn't know" they were prohibited in prison.

"Bringing it in was a mistake in itself, I didn't plan to bring it in, another issue is I didn't know it was a prohibited item," Hirwa said.

"I'm going to suggest you knew they were in your bag and you took them in with a view to trade with inmates for payments," the prosecution said.

"It doesn't make sense for me to do that," Hirwa replied.

Hirwa, of Albuhera Square, denies both charges.

The trial continues.