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I have a couple of anecdotes as an aside to this.

The first was when I was an inexperienced articled clerk. I was sent up to crown court to sit behind counsel. Counsel said to the client " you'll be searched by the dock officer, so if you have any guns bombs or drugs give them to Mr (me)". As I opened the court door the client handed me a lump of cannabis! I sat holding it throughout the hearing crapping myself. When the hearing was over I instinctively handed it back, oh no! I had sleepless nights over that one, still do 30 years later.
The second story happened when I was well experienced. I was representing a prisoner at court. His girlfriend gave me a packet of 20 cigarettes to give him, " but he doesn't smoke" says I, " no, but it's currency" says she. So I merrily take them down. I showed them to the officer, who checked the seal and said he could have them. In the cell, the client thanks me, breaks the seal, throws the filters away and reveals what we used to call a "soapbar" of cannabis!
Shortly after this a colleague took down a jacket for his client, for it to be discovered that the lining had several fully loaded syringes!
I'm so glad that nowadays we are not allowed to give them anything.
As regards this chap; I don't care how inexperienced he was, one just doesn't give a prisoner a mobile. I make it a point not to have anything on me at all, no cigarettes, no money and no phone! My sympathies though, probably didn't want to upset a good client of the firm.