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The Independent
26-05-2025
- The Independent
Surge in prison officers investigated over inappropriate relationships with inmates amid jails' staffing crisis
The number of prison officers investigated for inappropriate relationships with inmates has almost tripled in five years, The Independent can reveal. New figures from prisons in England and Wales have revealed a surge in staff investigated for corruption, with those probed for relationships with prisoners up from 51 in 2020 to 144 last year. Experts have warned instances of staff wrongdoing are escalating because 'teenagers with no work experience beyond Saturday jobs' are being recruited to some of the most challenging prisons in the country amid a recruitment and retention crisis in overcrowded jails. Only 30 of the prison officers probed for inappropriate relationships in 2024 faced sanctions classed as 'management or above outcomes', which includes criminal charges, dismissal, transfers, formal warnings or re-gradings. The number of prison officers investigated for sneaking contraband into jails was also up 86 per cent in the same five-year period, according to figures obtained by The Independent via a freedom of information request. This can include items such as drugs and mobile phones. It comes as the former governor of HMP Kirkham, Lancashire, last week found herself on the other side of the prison bars as she was jailed for nine years for a relationship with a drug gang boss known to his criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman' from hit TV show Breaking Bad. Kerri Pegg, 42, signed off on temporary release for her lover Anthony Saunderson, who is serving a 35-year term, and accepted a £12,000 Mercedes from him paid for with 34kg of amphetamines. A week earlier senior prisoner officer Tracey Boateng was handed a 12-month suspended sentence after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a drug dealer inside HMP Pentonville, north London. The 27-year-old, who had joined the prison service through a graduate scheme in 2020, was filmed kissing and hugging the prisoner during their 'fairytale' relationship between February and April last year. In January Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after she was filmed having sex with an inmate inside HMP Wandsworth just five months after she was recruited. Footage of the encounter, filmed by another inmate, was posted on X and went viral, leading to other female officers at the prison being subjected to sexual approaches and being seen as 'fair game'. Tom Wheatley, the chair of the Prison Governors Association, said the rise was a 'concern' for prison governors. 'These increases are driven, in part, by HMPPS inability to retain staff, which means that they are permanently recruiting,' he said. 'This increases the risk that the wrong people will be recruited and that staff will have to work in an environment where they have few experienced staff to guide them and where they are facing sophisticated prisoners prepared to use violence and intimidation to get what they want. 'Investment is needed in recruitment but also in pay in order to improve retention and build confidence and competence.' Less than a quarter of band 3 to 5 prison officers have more than ten years experience, according to HMPPS figures, while almost 40 per cent have been in the job under three years. Dr Bronwen Frow-Jones, of Cardiff University, has carried out independent research into prison officer wrongdoing. She agreed recruitment, vetting and training of prison officers, which is carried out centrally rather than by individual prisons, is 'completely inadequate'. 'Teenagers with no work experience beyond Saturday jobs are being recruited and, after eight weeks training at college, can find themselves working in some of the most challenging prisons in the country,' she told The Independent. She believes the most effective way to reduce instances of staff corruption is to improve training and ensure officers feel safe to report problems, noting minor even infractions of professional boundaries can eventually lead to serious wrongdoing. She added: 'There needs to be increased understanding why some prison officers decide to risk their jobs, their reputations and their freedom through engaging in corrupt activities. 'The prisoners who are probably the most influential in the establishment for dealing drugs and phones tend to get on with staff the most. They get themselves into those positions where they can gain the trust of staff with a view to violating professional boundaries.' Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the Prison Officers Association, warned corrupt staff place others at risk. 'A lack of adequate vetting coupled with unfit for purpose recruitment processes and initial training that does not prepare new recruits for the reality of the role all contribute to corruption,' he said. 'Inexperienced staff will always be at risk of conditioning from experienced prisoners. 'Thankfully, the majority of officers are decent, honest, professional public servants and the employer is taking this threat seriously and continues to target individuals who should never wear the king's uniform.' A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'While most prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting. 'Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.'
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Daily Record
Female prison officer flings exposed from smuggled knickers to jail baby
Infatuated guard Cherri-Ann Austin-Saddington, 29, was given a suspended sentence last week for the bizarre plot to have a baby with an 'extremely dangerous' inmate. Former prison officer Cherri-Ann Austin-Saddington, 29, almost landed herself in jail last week for her fling with 'extremely dangerous' inmate, sex offender Bradley Trengrove, 31. The guard at HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset, had sex with the prisoner on as many as 40 occasions while she was on duty and had the lag's name on her phone as 'husband to be', The mum-of-three became pregnant with Trengrove's baby, but suffered a miscarriage then tried to get pregnant again by 'artificially inseminating' herself with his sperm in a Calpol syringe. But her case is far from rare. Figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show 19 members of prison staff were charged with misconduct in public office between 2023 and 2024 - the highest number of guard and prisoner liaisons in the past 10 years. Here we look at some of the other flings to be exposed behind bars. Kerri Pegg A prison governor was jailed for nine years last week for having a relationship with a drug-dealing gang boss at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire. Kerri Pegg, 42, was branded a "rising star" of the Prison Service, rapidly climbing the career ladder from graduate to governor. But her trial heard she "didn't play by the rules" and began a relationship with major Liverpool crime figure Anthony Saunderson, and helped him secure day release. Sentencing her at Preston Crown Court, Judge Graham Knowles KC told Pegg: "You betrayed the public trust in you and you betrayed the Prison Service." Tracy Boateng Prison officer Tracy Boateng, 27, avoided jail last week after having a fling with a drug-dealing inmate. The 27-year-old was arrested after colleagues found footage on her body-worn camera of her posing for a selfie with heroin dealer Vincent Ojo. Other clips caught Boateng, an officer at HMP Pentonville, using sexualised language with the prisoner and hugging and kissing him while leaking confidential information on his files. The mum appeared in Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced for a single count of misconduct in a public office. Judge Caroline English said: "I cannot emphasise enough just how serious this offence is." Katie Evans Officer Katie Evans, 26, was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March after being "manipulated by an experienced criminal". A judge said she had been "corrupted" by prisoner Daniel Brownley, who was jailed for attempted robbery, shortly after she started working at HMP Doncaster. Evans had more than 140 phone calls with Brownley, moved money for him and supplied him with inside information. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said Brownley boasted to an ex-prison officer that she had performed oral sex on him. Moss, defending, said Evans was "immature and vulnerable" at the time and is "absolutely ashamed of her behaviour". Toni Cole Guard Toni Cole was sentenced to 12 months behind bars in February after swapping more than 4,000 risqué messages with an inmate she had been entrusted to guard. In January 2023, the 29-year-old engaged in a series of intimate trysts with a convict while working at Northamptonshire's new 'super-prison' HMP Five Wells. Cole sent some 4,369 messages to the con and partook in 18 video calls while participating in "contact which was sexualised or flirtatious", including sitting on the knee of her lag lover and kissing him. Hayley Jones Prison teacher Hayley Jones, 33, pleaded guilty to having an "inappropriate relationship" with convicted killer Jordan McSweeney at HMP Belmarsh in August 2024. Judge David Miller said: "Some of the evidence was that he was getting special favours or treatment. He may have been bragging to another prisoner about the power that he had over this person." But despite the workshop instructor admitting to misconduct, charges were later dropped against McSweeney as there was "insufficient evidence" of his part in the fling. McSweeney is serving a minimum of 33 years for the murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena, a 35-year-old law graduate, in June 2022. Linda De Sousa Abreu HMP Wandsworth officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was jailed for 15 months in January after a video was shared on social media showing her having sex with an inmate in a cell. In a prepared statement, De Sousa Abreu claimed she was "terrified for her own safety" prior to the offences and feared she would be raped. The officer, who previously described herself as a swinger, had a number of videos on adult platform Only Fans where she described herself as a "happily married sexy Latina" under a pseudonym. At sentencing, Judge Martin Edmunds KC said: "It must have been obvious that the recording would be shown around and shared, at least amongst prisoners at Wandsworth where it would do the most harm." Morgan Farr Varney Prison guard Morgan Farr Varney's 'physical and romantic relationship" with an inmate was exposed after she was caught on CCTV sneaking into a cupboard with him at HMP Lindholme. Love letters were then found during a search of Farr Varney's lover's cell and in her bedroom. Farr Varney was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in January 2023. She told officers she "proper fell in love" with the inmate, and said she was worried that she had "f****d" her life up. The relationship continued after she quit her job. Farr Varney pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at Sheffield Crown Court in April last year. Ayshea Gunn Officer Ayshea Gunn, 27, was jailed for 12 months in December 2019 for a four-month fling with an inmate. Her lover Khuram Razaq, 29, was serving time for armed robbery and assault and the pair exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, while the prisoner was serving time at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham. Gunn, who has a degree in criminology and psychology, smuggled items into the prison for Razaq, including a pair of knickers. Sentencing Gunn, Judge Niclas Parry said the images were "highly sexualised and pornographic images" created "at significant risk". Defence barriset Peter Hunter said Gunn had become depressed and was "at the bottom in her world". Jennifer Gavan Prison officer Jennifer Gavan was jailed in December 2022 for having an inappropriate relationship with prisoner Alex Coxon at HMP Berwyn in Wales. Coxon, 25, bribed Gavan with £150 to give him a mobile phone, which they used to secretly carry out their relationship. A court heard the pair were rumbled after Coxon's phone was discovered in his cell with explicit videoson it which had been sent through Snapchat. Gavan later admitted to sending the image and that she'd kissed Coxon, an inmate with a track record of drugs and robbery. She was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office and Coxon was handed 10 months for having a prohibited item in jail. Corinne Redhead Corinne Redhead, 29, was jailed for having an inmate's baby in 2022 following a secret year-long fling with convicted robber Robert O'Connor. O'Connor was serving a 10-year sentence at The Mount prison in Hertfordshire when Redhead was working as a supervisor on the wing. The fling lasted from January 2018 to January 2019. She was six months pregnant after a tip-off led to her fellow officers to search his single cell, where a mobile was found with Redhead's number saved under the name "my baby". They had shared video calls and messages which showed they were having a sexual relationship. Drea Becker, mitigating, told Luton Crown Court that Redhead made a "terrible mistake" and "expresses remorse and shame" but she was jailed for 25 months. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. 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Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment prison governor is arrested by police as she's jailed for relationship with drug boss who she released early
This is the moment a 'rising star' prison governor was arrested by police for having a relationship with a drug boss, who she released early despite not having the authority to do so herself. Kerri Pegg from Up Holland in Lancashire, was previously described as a 'rising star' of the Prison Service, climbing her way from the graduate scheme to a governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, in only six years But now, the 42-year-old has been jailed after being convicted of misconduct in public office and possession of criminal property at Preston Crown Court on April 9, as it emerged she had a relationship with Liverpool crime figure Anthony Saunderson. Bodycam footage of the divorcee's arrest, shows officers approach her home in Ogwell, Wigan. She later recoils in shock upon hearing news of a complaint, with officers later arrestidng her for the crimes. 'Petite, blonde and bubbly' Pegg was a governor-grade prison officer at the Lancashire prison in 2018 when Saunderson was reaching the end of a lengthy 10-year sentence for large scale drug dealing. During the trail, it was heard how the divorcee prison guard 'didn't play by the rules', beginning a romance with the crime boss, and later helping him secure early release from prison in mid-2019. The court heard how a toothbrush and size 10 Hugo boss flip flops containing Saunderson's DNA were found at the 42-year-old's home in Orwell, Wigan, during a police raid. Jurors were also told she had been gifted a £12,000 Mercedes C class car by the criminal, which was paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines. Following Saunderson's release, the organised crime boss was using an encrypted communication system called Encrochat to speak to his criminal associates, where he used the name Jesse Pinkman - a meth dealer in US crime drama Breaking Bad. Jurors heard how Saunderson would also go by the name James Gandolfini, an actor who played Tony Soprano in a hit mafia TV series, in his correspondence with other criminals. Law enforcement agencies gained access to Encrochat and were able to see the messages which included references to 'Kerri' and to obtaining a Mercedes for his girlfriend. On 6 April 2020 Saunderson was sent a message saying 'car her (sic) for ya bird 12 quid or work'. '12 quid' in this criminal context means £12,000 and 'work' means drugs. Saunderson was then sent a picture of a black Mercedes coupe. On 11 April Saunderson was joking with associates on Encrochat about driving around with 'Peggy' in her new car. In late 2020, Pegg was arrested and the Mercedes was parked outside her house. She had a 'burner' mobile telephone used just to communicate with Saunderson and his DNA was found on footwear and a toothbrush at her home. Saunderson was previously one of Merseyside's most wanted men after importing £19 million of cocaine and corned beef from Argentina. A probe found disgraced prison guard, Pegg, was living 'beyond her means', purchasing lavish jewellery and clothing, such as Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. She also had breast enhancement operation while serving at HMP Liverpool. Investigations showed the divorcee was in serious debt, even though she was paid £3,000 a month, and had a three separate of County Court Judgements (CCJ) against her for money owed to a parking company and credit card companies. This resulted in a separate charge of misconduct, due to officials being vulnerable to corruption if they are embroiled in debt. The court was also told all four of Pegg's credit cards were at their limit, with only 6p left in her savings account. Prosecutor Barbara-Louise Webster said Pegg had a taste for expensive clothes and 'lived beyond her means' which made her 'vulnerable and open to exploitation.' Ms Webster had told the jury: 'She became emotionally and personally involved with Saunderson and accepted the expensive car which was paid by him with the proceeds of criminal activity - trading in drugs.' Mr Andrew Alty, defending, had told the jury that Pegg had been 'naive, gullible and possibly stupid' but not corrupt. It was also heard how the ex-prison governor would spend a considerable amount of time in her office with the prisoner, with Saunderson later applying to be freed on a temporary licence in October 2018. Even members of Saunderson's gang complained he spent too much time with Pegg. The prison governor claimed this was due to his participation in a programme called BADD - Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency - for prisoners in multiple jails. Pegg had never disclosed any relationship with Saunderson, nor the county court judgements, to her employer. The rules of her employment required her to disclose both. She has since been dismissed from her role. Since his release, Saunderson was convicted of drugs and firearms offences and is back in prison serving a 35-year sentence. The prison governor formerly worked in the Probation Service, but made the move to prison work after she split from her husband of four years while his construction firm failed. Judge Graham Knowles KC sentencing told Peggh: 'You betrayed the public trust in you and you betrayed the Prison Service.' 'It was shocking and unconscionable that you should have had that relationship. 'You knew how you should and should not act. You had training and support. You were warned and you were challenged. The boundaries were clear and explicit and you knew you were crossing them.' Tarryn McCaffrey from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Pegg's actions in becoming involved with a prisoner who had committed serious drug offences portrayed a total lack of integrity or judgement. 'She displayed a shocking lack of professionalism in her role, overriding rules around Saunderson's temporary release and ignoring her obligations to declare personal debts. 'The evidence presented at court by the CPS, including messages and DNA evidence, proved beyond doubt the close relationship between the two. 'The seriousness of today's sentence reflects how damaging these actions were to the confidence of the public, who are entitled to be able to trust those who work in prisons. 'The CPS will not hesitate to work with partners such as the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit to prosecute those who commit misconduct in public office.' He said that Pegg's virtues were that she is 'compassionate, selfless, dedicated, genuine, hard working and supportive'. He said she had the support of her family and her mother was in court to see her daughter sentenced. Mr Alty said:' These are not just adjectives. They are positive virtues.'
The Independent
17-05-2025
- The Independent
Kerri Pegg: Moment prison governor in relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug gang boss arrested
Police bodycam footage shows the moment a prison governor who formed a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss was arrested at home. Kerri Pegg, 42, from Cinnamon Brow, Warrington, was in a relationship with Anthony Saunderson, known to criminal associates as " Jesse Pinkman" after the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. North Wales Police detectives said encrypted messages between Saunderson and other OCG members mentioned 'Kerri' and 'Peggy'. Investigators later confirmed that Saunderson was in a relationship with Pegg. Pegg was jailed for nine years on Friday (16 May) after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and handling criminal product.
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Telegraph
Prison governor jailed for nine years over affair with drug lord
A prison governor has been jailed for nine years over an affair with a drug gang boss. Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C-Class car, paid for by 34kg of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime figure who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Saunderson was known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in the show Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series. Members of his gang complained their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work', a court heard. Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on a temporary release for Saunderson, though she did not have the authority to do so. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency (BADD) for inmates at several jails while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory. Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was because of his involvement in the BADD programme. Pegg was convicted of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property, following a three-week trial last month. Cocaine hidden in corned beef Phil Copple, chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service, said: 'The criminal misconduct in this case lets down the public we serve, as well as the vast majority of honest and hard-working prison staff. But it also demonstrates our determination to take robust action against those who fail to achieve proper professional standards.' The court heard Pegg joined the Prison Service in 2012 as a graduate entrant, working at prisons including Risley, Liverpool and Styal, and by April 2018 she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was reaching the end of a 10-year sentence for drugs offences. He had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19 million of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina. There were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often in her office with the door closed. She told jurors there were 'cultural issues' at the jail, and clashed with bosses over her 'progressive' and 'hands-on' open-door policy with prisoners. Designer clothes, handbags and jewellery Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab on the border between England and Wales and a storage unit in Aintree, Merseyside. He was jailed for 35 years at Liverpool Crown Court in August 2022 after law enforcement agencies cracked the EncroChat system – a phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her Wigan apartment in November 2020, the Mercedes paid for by Saunderson in drugs was parked outside. They discovered designer clothes, handbags and jewellery, and found Pegg living beyond her means. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in undeclared debt, which amounted to misconduct as debts make officials vulnerable to corruption. Her four credit cards were maxed out and she had 6p in her savings account. Andrew Alty, defending, in his closing speech to the jury, claimed Pegg had been 'green and stupid', a naive and gullible person who was manipulated by Saunderson. Pegg tearfully told jurors she had been 'incredibly stupid' but did not think she had done anything wrong. Barbara-Louise Webster, prosecuting, said Pegg had a promising future, but added: 'Anthony Saunderson was her downfall.' After her arrest and resignation from the Prison Service, Pegg became the operations manager for The Brick, a poverty and homelessness charity. The charity was aware of her being under investigation, but she kept her job with 'substantial restrictions'. Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Pegg's actions in becoming involved with a prisoner who had committed serious drug offences portrayed a total lack of integrity or judgment. 'She displayed a shocking lack of professionalism in her role, overriding rules around Saunderson's temporary release and ignoring her obligations to declare personal debts.'
