Staff at a Welsh jail are being given anti-corruption training after a string of scandals involving female guards having affairs with inmates.
Three prison officers at HMP Berwyn near Wrexham have been jailed in less than four years for having sexual and romantic relationships with offenders which have seen staff having sex in cells, exchanging intimate phone calls, and sending explicit photographs. Now a new training programme has been put in place covering more than 500 members of staff at the jail.
Berwyn, which was opened in 2017 and has capacity for 2,100 male inmates, is the biggest prison in Britain. In recent years prison officers Emily Watson, Ayshea Gunn, and Jennifer Gavan have all been jailed for misconduct in public office after having flings with prisoners.
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Watson had a sexual relationship with drug dealer John McGee who was serving eight years for causing death by dangerous driving after knocking and killing a man while he was trying to escape from police. Watson and McGee had sex in the inmate's cell on a number of occasions - including on Christmas Day - they were in regular phone contact using a secret iPhone 6 the prisoner kept hidden inside a Play Station games console, and Watson sent him naked pictures and videos of herself.
Mold Crown Court heard the 26-year-old prison officer, of Jerusalem Road in Linthwaite, Huddersfield, was "naive" and believed herself to be in love with McGee. Barrister Gerald Pachter said the defendant had come out of a long-term relationship at the time of the offending, and said when she looked back she was appalled at what she had done and was acutely aware of the effect of her behaviour on the family of the man McGee killed. Watson was jailed for 12 months.
Gunn was a probationary officer at Berwyn when she began a relationship with armed robber Khuram Razaq. The pair exchanged “highly sexualised and pornographic” photographs, sent each other explicit sexual videos, and live streamed footage of themselves engaging in sexual acts.
On one occasion 27-year-old Gunn smuggled a pair of knickers into prison for Razaq hidden inside her bra, and when police searched her home they found photos of the pair kissing and hugging, some of which had been taken in Razaq's cell. She also bought clothes for the inmate, and placed bets for him. Mold Crown Court heard Gunn, of Pant Glas, Johnstown, Wrexham, had also sent screenshots of prison officers’ WhatsApp chats to Razaq where here colleagues talked about issues including search tactics.
Peter Hunter, for Gunn, said the defendant was remorseful and ashamed for what she had done, and said it had happened during a period of her life when she was "at the bottom in her world" and "someone showed her affection and stupidly she accepted it". Gunn was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Gavan was jailed for eight months for having a relationship with robber Alex Coxon which including kissing him, sending photos via WhatsApp, and accepting £150 to smuggle a mobile phone into the jail for him. Defence barrister Maria Masselis said the relationship had come at a particularly low point in the 27-year-old defendant's life when she had just come out very lengthy relationship. Ms Masselis said Gavan had "self-esteem issues" and felt she had been "manipulated" into believing she was in a relationship with Coxon. She added: "She felt ill-equipped to deal with a wing of 80 male prisoners, on occasions on her own for periods of time." Gavan was jailed jailed for eight months.
The Prison Service confirmed staff at Berwyn were now undergoing anti-corruption prevention training.
A spokesman said: "The overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and dedicated and we will not hesitate to punish those who break the rules. 'Anti-corruption prevention training' has since been launched for over 500 members of staff at the 2,100-capacity prison." Enhanced gate security has also been introduced in a bid to stop guards from smuggling illicit items behind bars.
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