A jury has heard detailed evidence from phone records from three people said to be involved in a heroin supply operation.

Stuart Brian Hardy, 28, is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court along with Avril Fallows, 47. Both deny conspiracy to supply heroin between November 2017 and October last year.

During a previous hearing the prosecution said Hardy, previously of Scalegate Road, Carlisle, was the “engine” of the operation, running the enterprise from his prison cell at HMP Northumberland.

The court was also told that Fallows, of Wedgewood Road, Flimby, and Hardy’s father, also called Stuart, who were in a relationship, were helping him from the outside. Hardy senior has admitted conspiracy to supply the class A drug.

Yesterday the jury was taken through hundreds of mobile phone records of the defendants by prosecutor Brendan Burke. Messages and phone calls were exchanged between Hardy junior from prison and a device used by Fallows.

Messages referred to payments and the couple’s movements around the county, the prosecution said.

There was also one which appeared to be a request from Hardy junior for Fallows to arrange for his phone to be topped up with credit.

On the witness stand, Detective Constable Steve Usher was asked to explain the police’s interpretation of some of the messages.

He said: “Fallows was a manager for the Post Office in the community store [in Flimby]... that store does sell top ups from there.”

Explaining another exchange which involved messages from an unknown person alleged to be in Glasgow to Fallows’ phone, which referenced the collection of £10,000, DC Usher said: “The lad from Glasgow who is coming to collect money is asking how much there is to collect.” A later message says the man from Glasgow is “outside”.

Asked what the police understood by that message, DC Usher said: “At Yewdale Road [Carlisle], at the address of Avril Fallows and dad [Stuart Hardy senior].” Hardy junior admits conspiracy to supply class B drug spice.

The trial continues.