Latest news with #ToniCole
The Sun
10-05-2025
- The Sun
Female warder over ‘flings with at least two lags' at scandal-hit prison
A FEMALE warder has been arrested over alleged flings with lags at a scandal-hit prison. The 22-year-old is being quizzed over at least two inappropriate relationships. 1 It is claimed the prison officer struck up close bonds at a category C jail — home to 1,700 inmates including robbers and sex offenders. A government counter-corruption unit is said to have been tipped off about her activities at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northants. A source said: 'We are talking about sexual relationships. There are believed to be even more prisoners involved than first thought.' The guard was quizzed on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and her home was searched by police officers in November. She was bailed as enquiries into the alleged flings continue. Bosses at the £253million prison, run by G4S, suspended the guard and transferred one of the inmates involved in the case to another jail. She is the second warder to be arrested recently over flings at HMP Five Wells. In January, prison officer Toni Cole, 29, was jailed for a year after admitting having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate in January 2023.
Sky News
20-02-2025
- Sky News
Prison officer who kissed inmate and sent 'sexualised' messages jailed
A prison officer who kissed and sat on the lap of an inmate she was in a relationship with has been jailed for a year. Toni Cole, 29, shared 4,431 texts and calls with a 28-year prisoner at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire. The texts and calls, which took place over five months, were "sexualised or flirtatious" in nature and included a photograph of underwear, Northamptonshire Police said. Cole pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay a £187 surcharge at Northampton Crown Court last week. Police said Cole spent "considerable time" with the prisoner, whom she admitted she had kissed on at least one occasion, at the prison in Wellingborough. Police said the relationship came to light during a meeting on 25 January 2023, which had been arranged to discuss an unauthorised overtime shift she had worked two days earlier. The force said CCTV footage of that shift showed the prisoner with his arm around Cole. The prison officer, of Gordon Road, Wellingborough, had her Samsung S22 mobile phone seized from her locker when she was arrested. Police found there had been at least 18 video calls between the pair and they had shared messages between September 2022 and January 2023. The investigation also found Cole had sat on the inmate's lap and "promised to tip him off" if she found out his cell was going to be "spun" by her colleagues. Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: "Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates. "The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate relationships will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law."
BBC News
20-02-2025
- BBC News
Five Wells prison officer jailed over relationship with inmate
A prison officer who admitted to an "inappropriate" relationship with a prisoner has been jailed for 12 months. Toni Cole, 29, admitted to sharing 4,431 texts and calls with a 28-year male inmate at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, over a five-month period between 1 September 2022 and 25 January communications were described by police as "sexualised or flirtatious" in nature and included a photograph of underwear. Cole, from Wellingborough, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on 13 February to 12 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay a £187 surcharge. The relationship was discovered during a meeting on 25 January 2023, which had been arranged to discuss an unauthorised overtime shift she had worked two days earlier. CCTV footage from the shift showed Cole had spent "considerable time" with the prisoner, with the footage appearing to show him with his arm around Samsung S22 mobile phone was seized from her locker during her arrest. 'Put colleagues at risk' The investigation also found that Cole had sat on the prisoner's lap and "promised to tip him off" if she discovered that his cell was going to searched by her Insp Richard Cornell said: "Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates. "I hope this sentence sends a clear message." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
20-02-2025
- The Independent
Prison officer jailed for kissing inmate and sending ‘flirtatious' messages
A prison officer has been jailed for a year after she admitted to an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. Toni Cole, 29, kissed and sat on the lap of the 28-year prisoner whom she had been in a relationship with at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire. Over a five-month period, she shared 4,431 texts and calls with the prisoner which were 'sexualised or flirtatious' in nature, including a photograph of underwear, Northamptonshire Police said. Cole pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay £187 surcharge at Northampton Crown Court on February 13. The force said Cole spent 'considerable time' with the prisoner, whom she admitted she had kissed on at least one occasion, at the prison in Wellingborough. Police said the relationship came to light during a meeting on January 25, 2023, which had been arranged to discuss an unauthorised overtime shift she had worked two days earlier. The force said CCTV footage of that shift showed the prisoner with his arm around Cole. The prison officer, of Gordon Road, Wellingborough, had her Samsung S22 mobile phone seized from her locker when she was arrested and police found that there had been at least 18 video calls between the pair and they had shared messages between September 2022 and January 2023. The investigation also found that the prison officer had sat on the inmate's lap and 'promised to tip him off' if she found out his cell was going to be 'spun' by her colleagues, police said. Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from East Midland special operations unit's regional prison intelligence unit, said: 'Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates. 'The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate relationships will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.'
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Female prison officer who kissed inmate and sent ‘flirtatious' messages jailed
A prison officer has been jailed for a year after she kissed and sat on the lap of an inmate whom she had been in a relationship with at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire. Toni Cole, 29, shared 4,431 texts and calls with a 28-year prisoner over a five-month period which were 'sexualised or flirtatious' in nature, including a photograph of underwear, Northamptonshire Police said. Cole pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay £187 surcharge at Northampton Crown Court on February 13. The force said Cole spent 'considerable time' with the prisoner, whom she admitted she had kissed on at least one occasion, at the prison in Wellingborough. Police said the relationship came to light during a meeting on January 25 2023, which had been arranged to discuss an unauthorised overtime shift she had worked two days earlier. The force said CCTV footage of that shift showed the prisoner with his arm around Cole. The prison officer, of Gordon Road, Wellingborough, had her Samsung S22 mobile phone seized from her locker when she was arrested and police found that there had been at least 18 video calls between the pair and they had shared messages between September 2022 and January 2023. The investigation also found that the prison officer had sat on the inmate's lap and 'promised to tip him off' if she found out his cell was going to be 'spun' by her colleagues, police said. Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from East Midland special operations unit's regional prison intelligence unit, said: 'Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates. 'The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate relationships will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.'
