'Infatuated' officer jailed over sex with inmate

An "infatuated" prison officer who had a "substantial sexual relationship" with an inmate where she worked has been jailed for two and a half years.

Charlotte Winstanley, 27, smuggled a range of contraband material into HMP Lindholme, near Doncaster, for prisoner Jabhari Blair, 30, including a mobile phone which they used to send "explicit photos and videos".

Sheffield Crown Court was told that in one message, Winstanley, of Coronation Road, Doncaster, told Blair: "I love my job, but I love you more."

Blair, a former organised gang member who was jailed in 2014 for 12 and a half years, was given a 13-month sentence after admitting possessing cannabis, a prohibited phone and USB stick.

Winstanley admitted misconduct in public office and transmitting a photograph from inside a prison.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, the Recorder of Sheffield, described the the case as the "worst" of its type he had dealt with.

The court previously heard messages uncovered between Winstanley and Blair described Mondays as "date nights".

Prosecutor Aaron Dinnes told the court that prison cameras had picked up "intimate moments" showing them touching and disappearing together into rooms.

Dinnes said one message from Blair indicated that he "can't wait to give Miss Winstanley a beautiful baby".

Richardson told the court that in October 2020 Winstanley had become an operational support officer at HMP Lindholme, then became a prison officer and received anti-corruption training.

"Whilst working on J-Wing, you started a corrupt relationship with Blair," he said.

"You knew it was wrong and against all the training you'd received."

He said although there were "suspicions" about her, she "brazened it out and continued [the] corrupt affair".

Winstanley knew the sentence Blair was serving was for a serious crime, the court heard, and had taken a screenshot of a news article showing this.

She bought him sim cards and smuggled them into prison, the judge said.

The judge said a phone in prison was a "valuable commodity" and could be used for other for illegal purposes.

Richardson also said: "You professed love for each other and engaged in WhatsApp and Snapchat messages," Richardson said, adding that many were "explicit and unnecessary".

One message from Winstanley read: "I'm literally praying to have your babies", while another stated: "Life starts now, baby. Every sacrifice I make I do so I can be with you."

The judge said: "It is utterly clear that you both knew that what you were doing was unlawful and corrupt."

He added that Winstanley gave Blair sensitive information about the movement of prisoners, healthcare information about other inmates and intelligence about a search scheduled to take place within his cell.

The court heard Blair told Winstanley he had used his contacts within the prison to ensure she was protected and said someone was ready to "fight immediately if necessary".

The judge also said that Winstanley became close with Blair's mother in Leeds, who was "clearly aware of the nature of the relationship", and Winstanley had confided in her friend and colleague, Morgan Farr Varney, about her new "boyfriend".

Varney was herself jailed for 10 months last year after a relationship with an inmate at HMP Lindholme.

In an earlier hearing, Khadim Al'Hassan, defending, told the court that Winstanley was only 22 when she began work at the prison and had only had one boyfriend before, when she was 15 and at school.

He said his client did not have the maturity and life experience needed for being a prison officer and said employing her was a "recipe for disaster".

The court was also told that Winstanley had set up an email account under the false name Debbie Pendalton "to deceive prison authorities", and the pair had sent explicit emails depicting the sexual activities which took place in videos and photos.

Richardson told the court the case was "a very serious example of its kind".

"It involves the personal corruption of a young prison officer involving sexual relations, intimacy and bringing contraband into a prison," he said.

"The problem always is that once a prison officer has succumbed to corruption it is ...impossible to retreat.

Jailing Winstanley for two years and six months, the judge said he was "very conscious prison for you will fall very hard".

However, he added that she had "chosen the wrong path" and "any corruption in a prison affects good order...and erodes confidence of the public", so punishment and deterrents were of "significant importance".

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