Prison officer jailed for relationship with inmate

A former prison officer has been jailed after admitting a sexual relationship with an inmate.

Alicia Novas, 20, worked at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough where she became involved with Declan Winkless and brought cannabis into prison.

Novas, from Raunds, admitted six offences including misconduct in public office, and was given a three-year jail sentence at Northampton Crown Court.

Winkless, 31, who admitted encouraging Novas to commit the offences, was jailed for three years and four months.

Judge Rebecca Crane said: "You failed to consider the seriousness of your actions and the potential impact on the security and safety of the staff and prisoners and how it undermined the work of the prison."

Novas and Winkless appeared at court via separate video links from HMP Peterborough.

The court heard that Novas began working at the prison in July 2024, aged 18, while Winkless had arrived the previous month.

By 6 November 2024, the pair were in direct electronic communication after Novas provided Winkless with her personal phone number.

The relationship became sexual later that month.

They also used additional numbers to stay in contact, exchanging messages, calls and video calls.

Prosecutor Matthew Rowcliffe said there were 2,873 contacts between the pair during the indictment period, which ran from August 2024 to March 2025.

Novas admitted bringing cannabis and two mobile phones into prison, unauthorised communication within the prison - which included passing on the name of a prisoner informant.

Rowcliffe described this as a "serious breach" of her responsibilities.

On 23 December 2024, Novas was arrested after a phone was seized from Winkless's cell.

She was released on bail and resigned three days later, but she immediately resumed contact with him, making about 400 further phone calls.

Crane added: "Given your age and inexperience, you were vulnerable to being manipulated.

"However, you could easily have reported matters to the prison authorities and sought assistance.

"You persisted in having contact over a significant period even after your arrest."

Novas was told she would serve half her sentence in jail before being released on licence.

Addressing Winkless, who has 16 previous convictions and is serving a separate sentence until April 2029, the judge said: "You were older and had more life experience and used that to manipulate Novas."

He admitted two counts of encouraging misconduct in public office, unauthorised communication within the prison, using cannabis in prison and unauthorised possession of communication devices within a prison.

Winkless was told his sentence would be added to his existing prison term - to run consecutively.

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