'Hands-on' prison governor denies fling with inmate

Kerri Pegg denied helping gang boss Anthony Saunderson due to any "special relationship"

A prison governor accused of being in a relationship with a gang boss inmate said she had always been a "hands-on" person, but denied any wrongdoing.

Kerri Pegg, 42, was allegedly gifted a £12,000 Mercedes car by Anthony Saunderson, who used the name Jesse Pinkman, a meth dealer in the TV show Breaking Bad, during secret communications with other criminals.

Ms Pegg had been a "rising star" in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, Preston Crown Court was told.

But while a governor at HMP Kirkham, she became too close to Saunderson, signing off his temporary release without proper authority, it is alleged.

Anthony Saunderson was coming to the end of a 10 year sentence for drug trafficking when Kerri Pegg became governor of HMP Kirkham

The defendant denies two counts of misconduct in a public office, one by having a relationship with Saunderson and the second by failing to disclose county court judgments (CCJ) about personal debts.

She also denies one count of possessing criminal property, the Mercedes car, from Saunderson.

Giving evidence earlier, Ms Pegg said she joined the Prison Service after eight years as a probation officer because she liked working with people and "wanted to make a difference".

The jury heard that in 2018, when she was working at HMP Liverpool, she was confronted by its then governor Robert Durgan after the Prison Service had been made aware of three CCJs against her, which is against the rules for staff as it may make them vulnerable to financial inducements.

Ms Pegg told the court she did not realise that not declaring a CCJ was breaking the rules.

She said: "I was mortified, I was embarrassed, I started crying. But he was really supportive and kind."

Ms Pegg said she was told no further action needed to be taken because the CCJs had at that point been declared.

The jury heard she had moved jobs in April 2018 to be a governor at HMP Kirkham, where she said there were "cultural issues".

'Open-door policy'

Saunderson was coming to the end of a 10-year sentence for drugs offences when Ms Pegg was appointed.

She told the jury her "style" was always to have an "open-door policy" and lots of contact with prisoners.

"I have always been a hands-on person, hands-on manager, I like contact with people," she said.

"They really seemed to appreciate it, they really appreciated someone willing to listen to them. They felt they had been ignored by other staff."

Ms Pegg admitted that she had signed off on Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) form for Saunderson in October 2018, which should only have been signed off by another official, the acting duty governor.

But she said she had done this before if paperwork was late and it was not unusual.

Andrew Alty, defending, asked: "Did you sign that ROTL because of some form of special relationship with Anthony Saunderson?"

"No," replied Ms Pegg.

Earlier in the trial, the prosecution said that after Saunderson had served his sentence, detectives found size 10 Hugo Boss flip flops and a toothbrush, both with his DNA on, at Ms Pegg's home in Orrell, Wigan.

She is alleged to have been gifted the black Mercedes coupe after Saunderson paid for it by offering 34kgs (75lb) of amphetamines, jurors heard.

The jury were told Saunderson was released from prison in May 2019, and in early 2020 was using an Encrochat encrypted mobile phone, used by serious criminals.

When the system was cracked by law enforcement agencies, it showed Saunderson was using the handle or pseudonym Jesse Pinkman, the name of a drug-dealing character in the critically acclaimed Breaking Bad crime drama series.

He has since been convicted for large-scale drug-trafficking and is back in prison.

Other messages on Saunderson's Encrochat phone also revealed the "ongoing nature" of his relationship with Ms Pegg, the prosecution has claimed.

Ms Pegg denies any wrongdoing.

The trial continues.