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Scottish Sun
29-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Female prison officer who fell for gangster and smuggled £35k of drugs into jail for him is locked up for three years
The shamed guard also exchanged flirty and drug-related texts with the con JAIL FLING Female prison officer who fell for gangster and smuggled £35k of drugs into jail for him is locked up for three years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LOVESTRUCK prison officer who fell for a convicted gangster and smuggled more than £35,000 worth of drugs into jail for him has been locked up herself. Olivia Johnson, 27, attempted to sneak in 88 sheets of paper soaked with the synthetic drug Spice for dangerous inmate Javelle Taylor while working at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A prison officer who had an affair with a convicted gangster, smuggling £35k worth of drugs into jail for him, has now been put behind bars Credit: Midlands Media Agency 5 Olivia Johnson fell for dangerous inmate Javelle Taylor who was serving 12 years for firearms offences Credit: Midlands Media Agency 5 Johnson was jailed for three-and-a-half years after admitting misconduct in a public office Credit: Midlands Media Agency Johnson was jailed for three-and-a-half years after admitting misconduct in a public office, acquiring criminal property and conspiring to take contraband into prison. Ipswich Crown Court heard how the shamed guard had 'compromised herself' with Taylor — a south London crook serving 12 years for firearms offences since 2019. The pair exchanged flirty and drug-related texts, with Johnson allegedly telling him: 'I can't figure out how I will get it through but I will figure it out.' She allegedly went on to promise: 'I'll message you as soon as I'm done at work so you know it's where it needs to be.' Upon her arrest in September 2022, officers found dozens of Spice-stained sheets in her bag worth a staggering £35,200 behind bars. Detectives also uncovered almost £15,000 in suspicious payments from Taylor's contacts into her bank account over nine months. A search of her red Toyota Aygo later revealed a black iPhone 13 filled with intimate messages where Johnson repeatedly told Taylor she loved him. Passing sentence, Recorder Richard Christie, KC, blasted her crimes: "The trafficking into the prison and the subsequent use of drugs and mobile telephones in prison undermines the good order and discipline of the establishment, impacts on the health and safety of prisoners, staff and visitors. "It undermines rehabilitation of prisoners and supports ongoing criminality, both within the prison and external to the prison. "You both took drugs into the prison and formed a relationship with the prisoner, Javelle Taylor. He was in prison for serious offences." Prison guard who had baby with lag reveals he is BACK in jail for attacking her The judge said Johnson tried to avoid a search on the day she was caught: "You tried to turn around and go to the laboratory, knowing as you must have done that you were carrying 88 sheets of paper impregnated with spice, a class B drug. "The value of each sheet is said to be £400, thus a huge total of £35,200 worth of those drugs." He added: "Although you say you committed these offences because you were in an intimate relationship with the prisoner, Javelle Taylor, that it is more likely that they were committed for financial gain. "I take the view that it's a bit of both. Both financial gain and because you professed love for him." Johnson, now working as an estate agent in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was described as being in an 'emotionally-dependant' relationship with Taylor. Her barrister, Jimmy Ogunshakin, told the court she was remorseful: "She stands before you today sorry, filled with regret and without excuse. "She had lost her way somewhere along the line. She felt in a male-dominated environment that there wasn't anyone to trust. "It became very difficult for her to get out of it. She found herself trapped. Certainly she lost her way, and for that she is very, very sorry." But Recorder Christie said only jail would suffice: "You were in a relationship. You did supply class B drugs. In my judgement a deterrent sentence is called for in this case." The case comes amid a surge of female prison guards being caught in illicit affairs with inmates. At least 30 have been sacked in the past three years — a huge rise compared to just nine between 2017 and 2019. In January, ex-Wandsworth officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after a video of her having sex with a prisoner surfaced online. Katie Evans, 26, called herself her inmate lover's 'queen' before being jailed for 21 months in March for smuggling drugs and boasting of sex acts with lag Daniel Brownley at HMP Doncaster. Morgan Farr Varney, 24, was caged for ten months in April after being caught slipping into a cupboard with crack dealer Jordan Stones, 30, who pinned racy snaps of her to his cell walls. And Cherrie-Ann Saddington, 29, avoided jail in May after smuggling a syringe to artificially inseminate herself with a sex offender's sperm at HMP The Verne in Dorset. She later miscarried. 5 The 27-year-old exchanged flirty and drug-related texts with the criminal Credit: Midlands Media Agency
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Shopkeeper hit with spate of thefts forced to TACKLE shoplifters himself as courts ‘just let them off the hook'
A SHOPKEEPER fed up with a spate of thefts has been forced to tackle shoplifters himself, saying the courts 'just let them off the hook'. Andrew Board, 39, who runs a convenience store in Durham, Co Durham, has become a local have-a-go hero - chasing down thieves, physically dragging them back into the shop, and banning dozens from stepping foot through the door again. Advertisement 5 The shopkeeper says he will 'protect and defend' the store from shoplifters Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew Board has been running his Premier convenience store for six years Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on his business Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board After six years of running his Premier store, the retailer had reached the end of his tether at being robbed blind while courts dish out slap on the wrist punishments to shoplifters. He said: "It's just got worse and worse because there's no deterrent. Crime pays at the moment. "The police have bent it over backwards to try and get all these criminals put before the courts, and they're as frustrated as we are, that they're basically just letting them off the hook. "They might get a caution or a rehabilitation order, but there's very little to stop them just going out and doing it again." Advertisement Read More on UK News Andrew has chased suspects around the estate and recently dragged a man who swiped a crate of Fosters back into the shop. After his brave citizen's arrest, police arrested the thief - only to spare him prosecution and hand out a community resolution instead. Andrew said: "The outcome was that he would just pay for the beer and it would be forgotten about. Despite him being on an electronic tag at the time. "How is that justice? What kind of message does that send if the worst-case scenario is they just have to give the stuff back?" Advertisement Most read in The Sun CCTV footage shows thieves being caught in the act - including a woman sliding tubs of Lurpak inside her coat and another nicking a bottle of wine. Other clips show Andrew and his staff grappling with shoplifters and hauling them back into the shop to await arrest. Moment Co-op worker grabs fleeing shoplifter by the THROAT to stop him making off with arms full of stolen items Shoplifting at the store has become so rampant that some products have been pulled entirely. Lurpak, Nescafe, tubs of fabric softener and even Spam have been removed after being targeted by drug addicts keen to pay off their debts. Advertisement Andrew said: "We had one prolific thief who was in constantly, shoving Lurpak down her coat. "She wears a lined coat, like a pro. She's been in court over and over again, but not once has been gone to prison." The store's banned list has grown to over 40 names. Andrew knows many having grown up and lived in the area all his life. Advertisement He has chased thieves around the estate, through back lanes and over fences. Andrew said: "There's no stereotypical shoplifter, I've had eight-year-olds stealing. Middle-aged people stealing to pay drug debts. Pensioners in their eighties stuffing things down their coat. "There's no set sort of character of what makes a shoplifter now." Andrew credits the police for trying but says officers are shackled by rules and red tape. Advertisement He is in a WhatsApp group with other retailers who track offenders and warn each other when someone's on the move. But police officers are not allowed to use WhatsApp. So while the group moves in real time, officers can be left catching up. Andrew told how the scourge of shoplifting had taken a toll on his staff, none of whom signed up to facing down criminals. Andrew said: "I've got some tools of the trade on me. I don't give them a chance to react. I work on shock tactics. Advertisement "I do have some restraint where it's needed. I would only retaliate if someone was volatile with me. I'm forceful in the immediate stage, but then if someone was going to pull a scrap with me, then I would hold my own. "I tell the staff to challenge but only if they feel safe. 'Often they'll ring me because I only live nearby. "My wife knows that I can handle myself and I do have a sensible head on my shoulders. But she's always going to worry in case anything does happen." Advertisement Nationally, half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023. Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on small business struggling with ever-shrinking profit margins. He said: "These people are stealing out of my pocket because this is my business and I won't have it anymore. "Small businesses now, they're closing left, right and centre, because all the extra expenses we're now subject to, all the extra regulations we're now being bound by that we've got to fork out our own pockets for. Advertisement "Wages and overheads are all going up. National insurance payments have gone up. "So we're being hammered left, right and centre. And now all these thieves are just coming in like it's a free-for-all. "People think acquisitive crime is harmless but if I go under, then the post office in the shop goes too. The community loses out and that's not fair. "Shoplifting will not go down until something in the legal system changes." Advertisement In a Facebook post in April, the store warned: "We aren't one of those large corporate stores making millions and can absorb losses due to theft. We're a small, local, family run business that does its best to cater for the community. "All thefts are a theft direct from our pocket and jeopardise our ability to trade and serve our community. Because of this, we absolutely WILL protect and defend ourselves against thieves and anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly." A Durham Police spokeswoman said: 'Shoplifting is a significant issue nationwide , and County Durham and Darlington is no different. 'We take this type of offending extremely seriously and work hard to tackle the issue across our force area. Advertisement 'A large proportion of shoplifting offences are opportunistic and committed by people with drug or alcohol addictions. 'That's why, as a force, we must look at the bigger picture and find out why individuals offend in the first place and seek to address the underlying reasons for their offending." 5 Andrew isn't afraid to confront those trying to steal from his store Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023 Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board Advertisement
Scottish Sun
21-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Shopkeeper hit with spate of thefts forced to TACKLE shoplifters himself as courts ‘just let them off the hook'
More than 40 people have also been banned from the convenience store TOUGH TACKLE Shopkeeper hit with spate of thefts forced to TACKLE shoplifters himself as courts 'just let them off the hook' A SHOPKEEPER fed up with a spate of thefts has been forced to tackle shoplifters himself, saying the courts 'just let them off the hook'. Andrew Board, 39, who runs a convenience store in Durham, Co Durham, has become a local have-a-go hero - chasing down thieves, physically dragging them back into the shop, and banning dozens from stepping foot through the door again. Advertisement 5 The shopkeeper says he will 'protect and defend' the store from shoplifters Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew Board has been running his Premier convenience store for six years Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on his business Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board After six years of running his Premier store, the retailer had reached the end of his tether at being robbed blind while courts dish out slap on the wrist punishments to shoplifters. He said: "It's just got worse and worse because there's no deterrent. Crime pays at the moment. "The police have bent it over backwards to try and get all these criminals put before the courts, and they're as frustrated as we are, that they're basically just letting them off the hook. "They might get a caution or a rehabilitation order, but there's very little to stop them just going out and doing it again." Advertisement Andrew has chased suspects around the estate and recently dragged a man who swiped a crate of Fosters back into the shop. After his brave citizen's arrest, police arrested the thief - only to spare him prosecution and hand out a community resolution instead. Andrew said: "The outcome was that he would just pay for the beer and it would be forgotten about. Despite him being on an electronic tag at the time. "How is that justice? What kind of message does that send if the worst-case scenario is they just have to give the stuff back?" Advertisement CCTV footage shows thieves being caught in the act - including a woman sliding tubs of Lurpak inside her coat and another nicking a bottle of wine. Other clips show Andrew and his staff grappling with shoplifters and hauling them back into the shop to await arrest. Moment Co-op worker grabs fleeing shoplifter by the THROAT to stop him making off with arms full of stolen items Shoplifting at the store has become so rampant that some products have been pulled entirely. Lurpak, Nescafe, tubs of fabric softener and even Spam have been removed after being targeted by drug addicts keen to pay off their debts. Advertisement Andrew said: "We had one prolific thief who was in constantly, shoving Lurpak down her coat. "She wears a lined coat, like a pro. She's been in court over and over again, but not once has been gone to prison." The store's banned list has grown to over 40 names. Andrew knows many having grown up and lived in the area all his life. Advertisement He has chased thieves around the estate, through back lanes and over fences. Andrew said: "There's no stereotypical shoplifter, I've had eight-year-olds stealing. Middle-aged people stealing to pay drug debts. Pensioners in their eighties stuffing things down their coat. "There's no set sort of character of what makes a shoplifter now." Andrew credits the police for trying but says officers are shackled by rules and red tape. Advertisement He is in a WhatsApp group with other retailers who track offenders and warn each other when someone's on the move. But police officers are not allowed to use WhatsApp. So while the group moves in real time, officers can be left catching up. Andrew told how the scourge of shoplifting had taken a toll on his staff, none of whom signed up to facing down criminals. Andrew said: "I've got some tools of the trade on me. I don't give them a chance to react. I work on shock tactics. Advertisement "I do have some restraint where it's needed. I would only retaliate if someone was volatile with me. I'm forceful in the immediate stage, but then if someone was going to pull a scrap with me, then I would hold my own. "I tell the staff to challenge but only if they feel safe. 'Often they'll ring me because I only live nearby. "My wife knows that I can handle myself and I do have a sensible head on my shoulders. But she's always going to worry in case anything does happen." Advertisement Nationally, half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023. Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on small business struggling with ever-shrinking profit margins. He said: "These people are stealing out of my pocket because this is my business and I won't have it anymore. "Small businesses now, they're closing left, right and centre, because all the extra expenses we're now subject to, all the extra regulations we're now being bound by that we've got to fork out our own pockets for. Advertisement "Wages and overheads are all going up. National insurance payments have gone up. "So we're being hammered left, right and centre. And now all these thieves are just coming in like it's a free-for-all. "People think acquisitive crime is harmless but if I go under, then the post office in the shop goes too. The community loses out and that's not fair. "Shoplifting will not go down until something in the legal system changes." Advertisement In a Facebook post in April, the store warned: "We aren't one of those large corporate stores making millions and can absorb losses due to theft. We're a small, local, family run business that does its best to cater for the community. "All thefts are a theft direct from our pocket and jeopardise our ability to trade and serve our community. Because of this, we absolutely WILL protect and defend ourselves against thieves and anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly." A Durham Police spokeswoman said: 'Shoplifting is a significant issue nationwide, and County Durham and Darlington is no different. 'We take this type of offending extremely seriously and work hard to tackle the issue across our force area. Advertisement 'A large proportion of shoplifting offences are opportunistic and committed by people with drug or alcohol addictions. 'That's why, as a force, we must look at the bigger picture and find out why individuals offend in the first place and seek to address the underlying reasons for their offending." 5 Andrew isn't afraid to confront those trying to steal from his store Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023 Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Besotted prison officer caught sneaking into cupboard with inmate ‘wants to rekindle their romance' after her release
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CONVICTED drug dealer who wooed a disgraced prison officer plastered his cell walls with her photos - and has vowed to wait for her on the outside. Morgan Farr Varney, 24, was locked up for ten months after being caught slipping into a cupboard with the con while working at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire. 6 Morgan Farr Varney had an illicit fling with a prisoner at HMP Lindholme Credit: Facebook 6 Jordan Stones, 30, would sneak off with the prison guard for sex sessions in a cupboard while she was meant to be guarding him Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle 6 Farr Varney was locked up for ten months Credit: Facebook The inmate has been named as Jordan Stones, 30, a crack cocaine dealer currently serving a five-a-half year sentence. Stones, from Stockton-on-Tees, Co Durham, posted images from his cell on Facebook showing racy snaps of his prison officer lover pinned to the walls. And his mother now insists the couple are still together - and will rekindle their relationship when the pair are eventually released from jail. Donna March, 47, said: "They are still together. They've been together for two and a half years. All of his belongings are at her house for when he gets out of jail. "She was around here all the time with my girls. She takes them out for day trips, she takes them up to her place at weekends." Ms March, of Billingham, Co Durham, added: "Honest to God, she's like another daughter to me. She's amazing." Farr Varney joined the Prison Service in 2022 and became besotted with Stones while he was on remand at the category-C prison near Doncaster. Suspicions were raised after she was spotted with him on a wing at Lindholme and she was arrested in January 2023. An investigation revealed a slew of love letters between the pair, including in the inmate's cell and in Farr Varney's bedroom. CCTV footage also showed the pair entering a cupboard. Interviewed by police, Farr Varney admitted she had "proper fallen in love" with him and admitted she had "f****ed her life up". Stones was handed an extra six weeks' jail time after being caught with an illicit mobile phone to stay in touch with the shamed guard. Prison officer smuggled Calpol syringe into jail to artificially inseminate herself with 'dangerous' lag's sperm Farr Varney, of Stainforth, South Yorks, was this week sentenced to ten months in prison after admitting to misconduct in public office. Stones was jailed at Teesside Crown Court in April 2023, after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a Class A drug. One charge was for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, while the other was for simple possession. He was previously jailed aged 20 after being caught selling heroin. Police caught him attempting to flush wraps of heroin down the toilet. After being bailed, officers caught him with another 12 wraps the following day. Stones told detectives he was selling the wares to pay back a drug debt. 'CLEAR MESSAGE' Farr Varney had received anti-corruption training just months before the affair began. Following her arrest, she resigned from her role - but the relationship continued despite Stones being moved to Wealstun Prison, near Wetherby in West Yorkshire. Farr Varney appeared on This Morning last year to discuss facing huge bills after buying braces from an online dental firm only for it to fold partway through her treatment. Detective Constable Scott Jarvis, of South Yorkshire Police's Prison Anti-Corruption Unit, said her sentencing should send a "clear message" to warders considering embarking on affairs. A record number of female prison guards have been fired for affairs with male inmates - with 29 given the sack in the past three years. That compares to just nine women who lost their jobs for the same offence between 2017 and 2019. In January, former Wandsworth prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after a film of her having sex with an inmate was shared online. Det Con Jarvis said: "We take any reports of improper relationships between prison staff and inmates incredibly seriously and conduct thorough investigations to ensure those who are guilty of these offences are brought to justice. "These types of relationships are thankfully rare, but when they do happen, they threaten to undermine the reputation of the prison service and other hard-working prison officers who abide by the rules and regulations attached to the job. "I hope this sentencing sends out a clear message to any prison officers thinking of committing similar offences that if you engage in this type of criminality, you will be investigated by police and you will be brought to justice." 6 Stones posted images from his cell on Facebook showing racy snaps of his prison officer lover pinned to the walls Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle 6 Stones' mother Donna March Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Besotted prison officer caught sneaking into cupboard with inmate ‘wants to rekindle their romance' after her release
A CONVICTED drug dealer who wooed a disgraced prison officer plastered his cell walls with her photos - and has vowed to wait for her on the outside. Morgan Farr Varney, 24, was locked up for ten months after being caught slipping into a cupboard with the con while working at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire. Advertisement 6 Morgan Farr Varney had an illicit fling with a prisoner at HMP Lindholme Credit: Facebook 6 Jordan Stones, 30, would sneak off with the prison guard for sex sessions in a cupboard while she was meant to be guarding him Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle 6 Farr Varney was locked up for ten months Credit: Facebook The inmate has been named as Jordan Stones, 30, a crack cocaine dealer currently serving a five-a-half year sentence. Stones, from Stockton-on-Tees, Co Durham, posted images from his cell on Facebook showing racy snaps of his prison officer lover pinned to the walls. And his mother now insists the couple are still together - and will rekindle their relationship when the pair are eventually released from jail. Donna March, 47, said: "They are still together. They've been together for two and a half years. All of his belongings are at her house for when he gets out of jail. Advertisement Read More in UK News "She was around here all the time with my girls. She takes them out for day trips, she takes them up to her place at weekends." Ms March, of Billingham, Co Durham, added: "Honest to God, she's like another daughter to me. She's amazing." Farr Varney joined the Prison Service in 2022 and became besotted with Stones while he was on remand at the category-C prison near Doncaster. Suspicions were raised after she was spotted with him on a wing at Lindholme and she was arrested in January 2023. Advertisement Most read in The Sun An investigation revealed a slew of love letters between the pair, including in the inmate's cell and in Farr Varney's bedroom. CCTV footage also showed the pair entering a cupboard. Interviewed by police, Farr Varney admitted she had "proper fallen in love" with him and admitted she had "f****ed her life up". Stones was handed an extra six weeks' jail time after being caught with an illicit mobile phone to stay in touch with the shamed guard. Advertisement Prison officer smuggled Calpol syringe into jail to artificially inseminate herself with 'dangerous' lag's sperm Farr Varney, of Stainforth, South Yorks, was this week sentenced to ten months in prison after admitting to misconduct in public office. Stones was jailed at Teesside Crown Court in April 2023, after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a Class A drug. One charge was for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, while the other was for simple possession. He was previously jailed aged 20 after being caught selling heroin. Advertisement Police caught him attempting to flush wraps of heroin down the toilet. After being bailed, officers caught him with another 12 wraps the following day. Stones told detectives he was selling the wares to pay back a drug debt. 'CLEAR MESSAGE' Farr Varney had received anti-corruption training just months before the affair began. Advertisement Following her arrest, she resigned from her role - but the relationship continued despite Stones being moved to Wealstun Prison, near Wetherby in West Yorkshire. Farr Varney appeared on This Morning last year to discuss facing huge bills after buying braces from an online dental firm only for it to fold partway through her treatment. Detective Constable Scott Jarvis, of South Yorkshire Police's Prison Anti-Corruption Unit, said her sentencing should send a "clear message" to warders considering embarking on affairs. A record number of female prison guards have been fired for affairs with male inmates - with 29 given the sack in the past three years. Advertisement That compares to just nine women who lost their jobs for the same offence between 2017 and 2019. In January, former Wandsworth prison officer Det Con Jarvis said: "We take any reports of improper relationships between prison staff and inmates incredibly seriously and conduct thorough investigations to ensure those who are guilty of these offences are brought to justice. "These types of relationships are thankfully rare, but when they do happen, they threaten to undermine the reputation of the prison service and other hard-working prison officers who abide by the rules and regulations attached to the job. Advertisement "I hope this sentencing sends out a clear message to any prison officers thinking of committing similar offences that if you engage in this type of criminality, you will be investigated by police and you will be brought to justice." 6 Stones posted images from his cell on Facebook showing racy snaps of his prison officer lover pinned to the walls Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle 6 Stones' mother Donna March Credit: Midlands Media Agency/John Siddle 6 The prison officer previously appeared on This Morning to discuss her dentistry 'nightmare' Credit: ITV Advertisement
