The prison officer, who was jailed over a relationship with the inmates, was also captured on CCTV entering prisoners’ cells. This is the third case in the same jail.
Prison officer Aimee Duke has been convicted of developing an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with two inmates at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire, England. According to The Sun,ย Aimee Duke (26), from Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, was jailed for a year. Aimee is the third female officer at a jail who has been convicted of inappropriate relationships with inmates.
A 26-year-old woman was caught on CCTV entering prisoners’ cells at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, without any professional reason. She admitted to two counts of misconduct in public office during a hearing in May but denied two further charges. Appearing before Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, she was handed a custodial sentence, while the remaining two counts were left on file.
What did the police say?
Northamptonshire Police said Duke also took her own bag into the prison wing, which was prohibited.
Det Insp Richard Cornell, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said, “Prison officers are in positions of authority and unfortunately, Aimee Duke used her position to form inappropriate relationships. Her actions do not reflect the fact that most prison staff are law-abiding citizens who carry out their duties to the highest standards. I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate behaviour, such as in this case, will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.”
248 calls and messages found with an inmate
As per the media reports, she was found with one of the prisoners’ ID numbers in her purse during a search in August 2022, months after she had begun working at the Category C prison in April.
Investigators also found 248 calls and messages on her phone with one lag over two months, and 254 with a second.
A text message found on her phone from a prisoner read: “I want us to be together 100%.”
In another message, Duke had written: “I can’t wait to see you”.
Earlier, HMP Wells officer Toni Cole, 29, was jailed in February for 12 months over trysts with a lag. Another, Rachel Stanton, 31, narrowly avoided a prison sentence in July after she romped with an armed robber.