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North Wales Chronicle
17-05-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, along the way also having breast enhancement surgery. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) 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 due to 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. 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 hardworking 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, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. Married at 26 and divorced four years later after her husband's building and renovations firm went bust, she switched to the Prison Service for a new challenge. Pegg joined 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. From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being 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. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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 – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, 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 way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments 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. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. 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 poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. 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.' Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said: 'Kerri Pegg was a senior figure within the Prison Service, a public servant expected to behave to the highest standards but this was serious misconduct on her part and greatly undermines the trust given to prison staff and order in a prison.'
Rhyl Journal
17-05-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, along the way also having breast enhancement surgery. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) 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 due to 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. 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 hardworking 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, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. Married at 26 and divorced four years later after her husband's building and renovations firm went bust, she switched to the Prison Service for a new challenge. Pegg joined 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. From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being 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. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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 – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, 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 way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments 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. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. 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 poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. 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.' Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said: 'Kerri Pegg was a senior figure within the Prison Service, a public servant expected to behave to the highest standards but this was serious misconduct on her part and greatly undermines the trust given to prison staff and order in a prison.'
Metro
16-05-2025
- Metro
Prison governor jailed for nine years over affair with drugs kingpin
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A prison governor seen as a 'rising star' in the service has been jailed for nine years after having a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss. Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) 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 due to his involvement in the BADD programme. She 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. 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 hardworking 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, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. She joined 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. From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being 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. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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 – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, 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 way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments 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. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. 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. More Trending 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 poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. The charity was aware of her being under investigation but she kept her job with 'substantial restrictions'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British tattoo artist 'caught with cocaine in Dubai' jailed for 40 years in 'hellhole' prison MORE: Mystery over man Bella May Culley met before being arrested in Georgia MORE: Students busted for bizarre TikTok 'Chromebook Challenge' to insert objects in laptops
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Daily Record
Prison governor jailed after taking £12k Mercedes from drug gang lover she let out early
Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. A disgraced prison governor who fell in love with a dangerous drug gang boss and let him out early has been jailed — after accepting a £12,000 Mercedes he bought her using dirty money. Kerri Pegg, 42, has been sentenced to three years behind bars after a court heard how she abused her position at HMP Kirkham to start a secret affair with inmate Anthony Saunderson, a convicted drug trafficker who used the alias "Jesse Pinkman" — a nod to the Breaking Bad character. Pegg, described as a 'rising star' in the prison service, rubber-stamped Saunderson's temporary release in 2018 without the required checks or authorisation. It was a decision that allowed him to return to his criminal empire and continue trafficking drugs across the country. But their relationship didn't stop there. In 2020, Saunderson used cash from his criminal network to buy Pegg a black Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe, worth £12,000. The flash motor was delivered straight to her home in Wigan — and the whole deal was arranged via encrypted messages on the EncroChat network, reports the Mirror. Using criminal slang, Saunderson messaged associates saying he'd paid '12 quid for her motor,' making it clear the funds came from his drug dealings. When police searched Pegg's home, they found the car parked outside — along with Saunderson's toothbrush, flip-flops, and designer clothes inside the house. Prosecutors told Preston Crown Court that Pegg was 'completely compromised,' adding that she had significant personal debt and multiple county court judgments, making her susceptible to exploitation by someone like Saunderson. But they also pointed out that Pegg knew exactly what she was doing — and had actively helped a dangerous criminal stay one step ahead of the law. Despite denying all charges and claiming she had been manipulated by Saunderson, Pegg was convicted of two counts of misconduct in public office and one of possessing criminal property. Sentencing her this week, Judge Simon Medland KC told Pegg: 'You allowed yourself to become emotionally involved with a man who you knew to be a serious criminal. You failed in your duty and compromised the integrity of the prison system. Your fall from grace is dramatic — but it is entirely of your own making.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! The judge added that Pegg's actions had damaged public trust and posed 'a real risk to public safety,' especially given the high level of trust placed in senior prison officers. Following the sentencing, a Prison Service spokesperson said: 'We expect the highest standards from our staff and will not hesitate to take action when those are breached. This individual betrayed her position and the public, and justice has now been served.'
Powys County Times
16-05-2025
- Powys County Times
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
A 'rising star' prison governor has been jailed for nine years after having a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss, according to the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, along the way also having breast enhancement surgery. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) 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 due to 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. 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 hardworking 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, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. Married at 26 and divorced four years later after her husband's building and renovations firm went bust, she switched to the Prison Service for a new challenge. Pegg joined 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. From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being 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. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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 – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, 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 way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments 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. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. 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 poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. 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.' Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said: 'Kerri Pegg was a senior figure within the Prison Service, a public servant expected to behave to the highest standards but this was serious misconduct on her part and greatly undermines the trust given to prison staff and order in a prison.'
