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UK: Female prison guard faces jail sentence for ‘sexual communication’ with inmate
Gibson, who was also charged for possession of cannabis, will be handed the prison sentence in August.
A female prison guard working at the Wealstun Prison, near Wetherby in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, is facing a prison sentence after she admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.
Megann Gibson, 26, also sent 900 messages to the inmate's mother, allegedly to stay in contact with him, The Telegraph reported.
Gibson, who was also charged with possession of cannabis, will be handed the prison sentence in August. In her admission, the prison guard stated that she had engaged in “sexual communications” with an inmate at the Wealstun prison near Leeds.
The 26-year-old had allowed the inmate access to restricted areas of the prison facility during her time as a prison guard, including a Category C resettlement prison. She also visited him at his resettlement housing.
During the hearing of the plea, the defence counsel submitted before the court that Gibson was undergoing assessment for various mental health conditions, which included post-traumatic stress regarding her previous relationship, the Telegraph report stated.
Gibson lives with her mother, a driving instructor, and sister in Fearnville Terrace, Roundhay, which is located in Gipton, a suburb in east Leeds. While releasing her on unconditional bail, the judge cautioned her not to “look into that too much", while adding that the offence was a “serious matter”. “You may well be serving a prison sentence,” the judge said.
Growing number of female prison guard dismissals in the UK
Earlier this month, a 24-year-old female prison guard at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire, Morgan Farr Varney, served a prison sentence of 10 months after being caught with an inmate during work.
The number of female prison guards in the UK who have been dismissed over inappropriate relationships with the inmates has increased to 29 in the past three years. The number of cases for the same offence stood at nine between 2017 and 2019, according to The Telegraph.
