Wellingborough prison officer jailed for relationship with inmate
The 29-year-old prison officer has been jailed after admitting having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate at HMP Five Wells.
A 29-year-old prison officer has been jailed for 12 months after admitting having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough.
The relationship came to light during a meeting on January 25, 2023, which had been arranged to discuss concerns about possible threats from a prisoner and an overtime shift the woman had worked two days earlier that had not been authorised.
CCTV of her working this shift showed that she had spent considerable time with a 28-year-old prisoner, with the footage appearing to show him with his arm around her, which prompted her to confess to being in a relationship with him.
Although she told colleagues that it was not a sexual relationship, she admitted to kissing him on at least one occasion, and admitted to being in contact with him via a mobile phone, which he had access to.
Toni Evelyn Georgina Cole, of Gordon Road, Wellingborough, was arrested by Northamptonshire Police on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, and her Samsung S22 mobile phone seized from her locker.
An investigation was launched by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), and when the data was downloaded from her phone, detectives found the pair had shared 4,431 texts and calls between September 1, 2022, and January 25, 2023.
Many of these were sexualised or flirtatious in nature and confirmed that they had shared a kiss on more than one occasion, as well as including a photograph of a purple thong, while there were at least 18 video calls between the pair.
The investigation also found that Cole had sat on the inmate’s lap as well as promised to tip him off if she found out that his cell was going to be “spun” by her colleagues.
In November 2024, Cole was charged via a postal requisition, and on December 12, she appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court, where her case was committed to the county’s crown court for trial.
On February 7, Cole pleaded guilty to miscount in a public office and last Thursday (February 13), returned to Northampton Crown Court where she was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and ordered to pay £187 surcharge upon her release from prison.
Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from EMSOU’s Regional Prison Intelligence Unit, said: “Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates.
“The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate relationships will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.”
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