Latest news with #GeoAmey
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Trans killer says 'human rights breached' over leaked recording of 'joke'
Sophie Eastwood, a trans prisoner who is serving life for the murder of cellmate Paul Algie, is claiming her rights were breached when a recording was made of her at Wishaw General Hospital A trans killer claims her human rights were breached after a security guard secretly recorded her sharing a joke with a colleague. Life prisoner Sophie Eastwood alleges the incident was an intrusion into her privacy and that of the guard. Since the recording was made the man she was joking with has been sacked and she is calling for him to be reinstated - while she also wants disciplinary action against the other guard. Eastwood, 39, has been in Wishaw General Hospital, North Lanarkshire, since August last year because a fissure in her small intestine, caused by swallowing sharp objects as she struggled with her mental health leaving her unable to eat and drink normally. She has been kept in hospital where Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), which gives her the nutrition she needs intravenously, has been administered to keep her alive while senior medics assess whether an operation might be possible. GeoAmey, the company that manages prisoner transfers between jail and court and also hospital visits and stays, has had two guards with Eastwood, who is cuffed and chained to one of the guards, 24 hours a day. Eastwood told the Daily Record: 'As a prisoner, people have power over me and might find a way to punish me for speaking out, but this is so unfair I feel I have to. 'The guy who was suspended is very good at his job and is liked and respected by everyone, and all his colleagues are really gutted for him, but they can't influence what happens to him. I've had a wide array of guards watching me over the past ten months or so, and he was one of the best. 'He is friendly while making it clear he is in charge and he has been with GeoAmey for many years. He was on duty on the night of May 21 into May 22 with a female colleague who I also thought I knew. Throughout her shift, she was nipping out for five, ten minutes, and I assumed it was toilet breaks or breaks to have a cigarette or a vape. 'But it turned out that she was leaving her mobile phone behind and, obviously without our knowledge or consent, was leaving it to record our conversations. We learned she had handed the recordings over to GeoAmey managers at the Bellshill headquarters. There was nothing that I recall that should have been a disciplinary matter. 'At one point, I think because we thought she was going out for a vape, we joked about a previous incident where I had my room and bathroom searched for vapes – I didn't have any - and it was reported in the Record. It seems a guy with many years' service, who is really good at his job, has been suspended for having a joke with a prisoner.' It has long been established that covert recordings, even of active criminals planning an operation, are not legal and cannot be used as evidence in court without consent, or a warrant from a sheriff has allowed it in the public interest. Eastwood said: 'Nothing we discussed would have been of any interest to the public, and we didn't know we were being recorded so how is this possible?' She added that she knew the names of both security guards involved but was not sharing them out of respect for their privacy. Earlier this year Eastwood had her TPN withdrawn following a crisis in her mental health. The unexpected death of her father led to her attempting to self-harm with scissors and a razor blade. She now awaits a decision on whether an operation that would allow her to eat normally might be attempted. If successful, this would see her returned to prison. Eastwood is serving life for the murder of cellmate Paul Algie, 22, in 2004, in Dumfries Young Offenders Institution when she was just 18 and still living as Daniel Eastwood. Eastwood was close to being released from prison for driving offences when she committed the murder, which she says she regrets every day and will regret until her own death. Ordered to serve a minimum 15 years at the High Court in Glasgow, she has now served more than 20. If an operation were successful, she would almost certainly be returned to Glenochil Prison, where she became seriously unwell after being moved back to the male estate having spent many years among female prisoners. This followed the farce at the start of last year around the rapist Adam Graham, who declared while facing two rape charges that he was transitioning to female and wanted to be known as Isla Bryson and serve his sentence in a female jail. The political fallout from that case led the SPS to review its management of all trans prisoners, and some were moved back into prisons that aligned with their gender at birth. Eastwood had previously been bullied and assaulted by male prisoners after starting to transition in 2017 and was terrified to be back among them. A GeoAmey spokesperson said: 'All allegations regarding staff conduct are subject to internal investigation. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.'
Daily Record
05-07-2025
- Daily Record
Trans killer moans "human rights breached" over leaked recording of her cracking joke
Life prisoner Sophie Eastwood has raised the matter as a breach of human rights – specifically to hers and the guard's right to privacy – and called for him to be allowed to return to work, and his female colleague disciplined. A Trans killer has moaned that her human rights were breached after a security guard secretly recorded her sharing a joke with his colleague. Life prisoner Sophie Eastwood has raised the matter as a breach to hers and the other guard's right to privacy. The guard recorded talking to her has since been sacked as she calls for him to be allowed to return to work and for the colleague who took the recording to be disciplined. Eastwood, 39, has been in Wishaw General Hospital since August last year because a fissure in her small intestine, caused by swallowing razor blades during a bout of poor mental health, left her unable to eat and drink normally. She has been kept in hospital where Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), which gives her the nutrition she needs intravenously, has been administered to keep her alive while senior medics assess whether an operation might be possible. GeoAmey, the company that manages prisoner transfers between jail and court and also hospital visits and stays, has had two guards with Eastwood, who is cuffed and chained to one of the guards, 24 hours a day. Eastwood told the Record: 'As a prisoner, people have power over me and might find a way to punish me for speaking out, but this is so unfair I feel I have to. 'The guy who was suspended is very good at his job and is liked and respected by everyone, and all his colleagues are really gutted for him, but they can't influence what happens to him. 'I've had a wide array of guards watching me over the past ten months or so, and he was one of the best. 'He is friendly while making it clear he is in charge and he has been with GeoAmey for many years. 'He was on duty on the night of May 21 into May 22 with a female colleague who I also thought I knew. 'Throughout her shift, she was nipping out for five, ten minutes, and I assumed it was toilet breaks or breaks to have a cigarette or a vape. 'But it turned out that she was leaving her mobile phone behind and, obviously without our knowledge or consent, was leaving it to record our conversations. 'We learned she had handed the recordings over to GeoAmey managers at the Bellshill headquarters. 'There was nothing that I recall that should have been a disciplinary matter. 'At one point, I think because we thought she was going out for a vape, we joked about a previous incident where I had my room and bathroom searched for vapes – I didn't have any - and it was reported in the Record. 'It seems a guy with many years' service, who is really good at his job, has been suspended for having a joke with a prisoner.' It has long been established that covert recordings, even of active criminals planning an operation, are not legal and cannot be used as evidence in court without consent, or a warrant from a sheriff has allowed it in the public interest. Eastwood said: 'Nothing we discussed would have been of any interest to the public, and we didn't know we were being recorded so how is this possible?' She added that she knew the names of both security guards involved but was not sharing them out of respect for their privacy. Earlier this year Eastwood had her TPN withdrawn following a crisis in her mental health. The unexpected death of her father led to her attempting to self-harm with scissors and a razor blade. She had the life-saving treatment restored after the Record highlighted her fears that she had been left to die. She now awaits a decision on whether an operation that would allow her to eat normally might be attempted. If successful, this would see her returned to prison. Eastwood is serving life for the murder of cellmate Paul Algie, 22, in 2004, in Dumfries Young Offenders Institution when she was just 18 and still living as Daniel Eastwood. Eastwood was close to being released from prison for driving offences when she committed the murder, which she says she regrets every day and will regret until her own death. Ordered to serve a minimum 15 years at the High Court in Glasgow, she has now served more than 20. If an operation were successful, she would almost certainly be returned to Glenochil Prison, where she became seriously unwell after being moved back to the male estate having spent many years among female prisoners. This followed the farce at the start of last year around the rapist Adam Graham, who declared while facing two rape charges that he was transitioning to female and wanted to be known as Isla Bryson and serve his sentence in a female jail. The political fallout from that case led the SPS to review its management of all trans prisoners, and some were moved back into prisons that aligned with their gender at birth. Eastwood had previously been bullied and assaulted by male prisoners after starting to transition in 2017 and was terrified to be back among them. A GeoAmey spokesperson said: 'All allegations regarding staff conduct are subject to internal investigation. 'It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.'
The Independent
20-03-2025
- The Independent
Manhunt launched for prisoner who complained of medical emergency before fleeing van on way to court
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A man is on the run from police after he claimed to be suffering from a medical emergency that forced his prison van to stop before he allegedly overpowered officers and escaped. Police are now hunting for Jamie Cooper, 33, who is charged with assaulting a police officer and criminal damage, after he fled the van when it pulled over on a motorway on Wednesday morning. The van, which had been taking prisoners to Lancaster magistrates' court, was on the M55 near junction two by Catforth, Preston, when he escaped, the force said. Officers said they were alerted at 8.54am. Police say anyone who sees Mr Cooper should not approach him but call 999 immediately. He has links to Blackpool and Bolton, according to Lancashire Police. Mr Cooper is described as 5ft 7ins tall, of medium build with short, cropped hair, and was thought to be wearing a blue coat, blue jeans and black trainers. A spokesperson for GeoAmey, which runs prisoner transport services and was in charge of the van, said: 'We can confirm the escape of a detained person from a GeoAmey escort vehicle. 'Whilst in transit to Lancaster magistrates' court, the vehicle had to pull over on the M55 in the Catforth area to deal with an on-board medical emergency. 'The detained person involved in this emergency then overpowered and evaded the escort officers and escaped from the vehicle. 'Lancashire Police have been informed and are currently searching for the escaped prisoner. 'We have conducted an immediate de-brief already and there will be a full investigation.' Preston Police posted on Facebook: 'We know that this may be concerning to hear about, but we want to reassure you that incidents like these are extremely rare in Lancashire and it is something we are taking incredibly seriously. 'Searches and an investigation are ongoing, and you will see an increase in our officers in the area as they continue their inquiries. 'If you have any concerns, please do approach them as they are out and about.' Lancashire Police declined to say which areas their search is focused on.
