Jailed: Lovestruck prison officer rigged phone system for intimate calls with inmate
A lovestruck prison officer "manipulated" HMP Hewell's phone system to whisper sweet-nothings to him on an illegal mobile phone for nine months after he was transferred.
Leshana Richards is now behind bars herself after every minute of the141 hours of the often raunchy phone calls with the inmate were recorded and subsequently listened to by her bosses.
The 28-year-old knew her criminal Casanova had an illegal phone and instead of reporting it to authorities sent him sexual videos and pictures. Richards was charged with misconduct in public office.
Richards, of Kenley Grove, Ettingshall, spoke to the inmate, who was serving seven and a half years, nearly every day from November 2021 until July 2022.
After being sacked Richards, who refused to cooperate with an internal investigation, was arrested in May 2023 and again stayed silent during interviews.
However, eventually, in June this year at Wolverhampton Crown Court she pleaded guilty to "wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by entering in to a relationship with an inmate and communicating with him" on an illicit phone he had.
She was "also involved in the manipulation of the security measures of the Prison Telephony System so this inmate could communicate with you via the Prison issue telephone he had in his cell".
Prosecuting Dean Easthope said: "Between the November 2021 and July 2022 the inmate made 615 phone calls to the defendant using the prison phone system. This was a total of 141 hours call time which would have cost £509.24.
"It is clear the defendant manipulated the phone system. All calls are recorded. When the calls were listened to it was obvious the two were in an inappropriate relationship. They were planning an intimate relationship when he was released. There were also overt sexual references.
"The defendant was arrested and her phone was seized and analysed, photos and videos found on her phone demonstrated she had been sending pictures and videos to the inmate. A mobile phone was found in his cell
"Aggravating factors in the case is the length of time of the communication between the two, the sexual nature and a wider impact in the prison with staff and inmates, and public trust and confidence in the prison system."
In mitigation, the court heard Richards was in a vulnerable position when the relationship began and it offered her an "escape from real life".
Defending Amy Jackson said: "They were not in a relationship when she was a prison officer and he was an inmate at HMP Hewell. It was after his transfer the relationship began, and if she had been inclined to she could have declared the relationship as there was no conflict of interest.
"She is in a very different place now, she is in a loving relationship. And she works with, and responsible for vulnerable children, her employers know about this trial and just want her back at work."
Judge Michael Chambers KC sentenced Richards to eight months in prison.
He said: "You entered into an inappropriate relation with a prisoner. You knew he had a mobile phone which he should not have had in prison. The delay in this case is in part due to you giving no comment, which is your right.
"I take into account your mitigation and your guilty plea, and considered suspending the sentence but this offence is so serious only an immediate custodial term will suffice."