A former jail governor who exchanged “intimate” WhatsApp messages with an inmate “in the midst of a extremely inappropriate relationship” has been jailed for eight months.
Victoria Laithwaite, 47, despatched messages to 30-year-old prisoner James Chalmers after issues in her marriage, Northampton Crown Courtroom heard.
Laithwaite, of Kislingbury, Northamptonshire, was on the time governor of class C jail HMP Onley in Northamptonshire, whereas Chalmers was there serving a jail sentence of two years and 9 months.
Chalmers, of Coventry, was sentenced on Thursday to 2 years in jail for having a cell phone in jail and for sending messages from jail with out authority.
Decide Adrienne Lucking QC informed Laithwaite that her offence was “aggravated by your severe breach of belief in your position as a jail governor”.
“You’ve been skilled in your position and know higher than anybody the dangers of prisoners being in possession of telephones,” she stated.
Sinjin Bulbring, prosecuting, stated Chalmers’s jail cell was searched on April 7 final yr and officers discovered two cell phones, 4 sim playing cards and a reminiscence stick.
The choose stated a picture of Laithwaite was saved on one of many telephones, with no additional element given about this.
Mr Bulbring stated one of many telephones confirmed Whatsapp messages between the handset and a quantity “held by the jail as a contact quantity for Ms Laithwaite”.
The messages have been despatched and obtained between April 4 and April 5 2021.
The choose stated when Laithwaite’s cellphone was seized the WhatsApp utility had been eliminated, however name knowledge confirmed tried calls to 2 numbers linked to 2 of the sim playing cards present in Chalmers’s cell.
She stated that additional interrogation of the telephones made it “clear that the telephones had been used to speak with Victoria Laithwaite in the midst of a extremely inappropriate relationship”, including that this was “characterised as being of an intimate nature”.
Each defendants admitted the offences at earlier hearings.
Sarah Allen, respresenting Chalmers, stated: “It’s accepted that there was a level of intimacy between him and his co-accused.”
She stated Chalmers bought the cellphone from one other prisoner and the “governor’s particulars have been already there and he or she initiated the contact with him”.
Sarah Mahmud, for Laithwaite, stated the previous jail governor was “deeply ashamed, totally embarrassed and deeply regretful”.
“In committing this offence Mrs Laithwaite has singlehandedly destroyed her personal life,” she stated.
“She’s destroyed the lives of her husband, kids and oldsters they usually’ve began to attempt to rebuild their lives.”
She stated that Laithwaite’s husband works on the jail and “has had to enter work each day realizing individuals are speaking about this”.
The defence barrister stated the prosecution’s case was that the communication “befell in simply shy of three weeks and there have been two cellphone calls”, which she described as “tried cellphone calls with none period”.
She stated there had been a “breakdown” in Laithwaite’s marriage “that had led her foolishly into the place the place she succumbed to this contact”.
She stated there was no proof of a bodily relationship between Laithwaite and Chalmers.
Half approach via mitigation for Laithwaite, the choose warned Chalmers to cease smirking and shaking his head.
Laithwaite had been working as head of safer custody and equalities when she was arrested in Could 2021.
Her position concerned having duty for guaranteeing the assist of probably the most weak inmates.
She beforehand pleaded responsible to an offence below Part 44 of the Critical Crime Act 2007.
Each defendants got jail sentences, and the choose ordered that the telephones present in Chalmers’s jail cell be forfeited and destroyed.
A Jail Service spokesperson stated: “Whereas the overwhelming majority of jail workers are hard-working and devoted, as this case exhibits we are going to by no means hesitate to pursue the strongest attainable motion in opposition to these few people who break the principles no matter their position.”
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