A prison officer has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after she embarked on an affair with an inmate.
Ayshea Gunn, 27, sent explicit pictures, exchanged phone calls of a sexual nature, and smuggled her own underwear into the prison during her relationship with 29-year-old prisoner Khuram Razaq.
The pair, who met while Gunn was working at Berwyn prison near Wrexham, took part in 1,200 phone calls during a period of less than five months.
The court also heard about messages between the two about 'cell searching tactics' and pictures that even showed the pair kissing in Razaq's cell.
Razaq is currently serving a 12-year sentence, which has now been extended by eight months following this latest crime.
Gunn admitted misconduct in public office earlier this year and was sentenced today.
The psychology and criminology graduate was a probationary officer at the new Category C prison at the time of the offences.
Simon Mills, prosecuting, revealed during the trial that Gunn had sent screenshots to Razaq that contained information from a prison officers' WhatsApp chat regarding different inmates and searching tactics.
He said: "That was an act of betrayal."
Despite having been trained about prisoners trying to exploit them, Mills argued the pair hadn't been subtle about their relationship.
After colleagues noticed Gunn was spending a lot of time in Razaq's cell, an internal investigation was launched. That's when they discovered a contact called 'Keeley Mason' in Razaq's phone, which turned out to be Gunn.
The court also heard that Gunn was recently out of a long-term relationship with another prison officer that had ended after he cheated on her with another prison warder.
Her lawyer Peter Hunter said: "Some 17 months ago she was in a period where she was at the bottom in her world. Someone showed her affection and stupidly she accepted it. She is remorseful and ashamed."
The messages Gunn shared with Razaq haven't been made public for fear of what may happen to her when she's in prison.
Judge Nicolas Parry said: "This case is all about breaching trust and you were the person trusted.
"Over a period of some months, infatuated, you did exhibit selfishness on a staggering scale."
He said that the pair engaged in a 'highly sexualised and pornographic' exchanges, and said that the fact the relationship continued after they were discovered 'beggars belief'.
He continued: "I accept this is a personal tragedy for you, you have acted entirely out of character. I accept you acted in what was a difficult period in your life.
"I have no doubt that caused you to long for and search for company, thrills and comfort."
As for Razaq, he pleaded guilty to possessing a smartwatch and a mobile phone in jail. He will serve eight more months consecutively and cannot be released before March 2021. Judge Parry said: "You are clearly a dangerous man. Before the age of 30 you have received two sentences in double figures."
Razaq was jailed in 2008 for 10 years for armed robbery and 12 years in 2015 for conspiracy to rob.
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Detective Inspector Dawn Hampson from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "We have worked closely with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service to tackle the problem of corruption within prisons.
"We want to reassure the honest, dedicated and hardworking staff that work in our prisons that we will continue to take action against people who choose to engage in corrupt activity.
"Those who choose to offend in such a way are not above the law and we urge staff to be aware of the warning signs and to report any type of inappropriate behaviour so that we can take action to bring them to justice."
Featured Image Credit: North West Regional Organised Crime Unit