Dorset prison officer sentenced to 16 months in jail

Prison officer Rachel Martin admitted to having a relationship with an inmate

A prison officer has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for having an "intimate" relationship with an inmate.

Rachel Martin, 25, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, admitted to her relationship with Raymond Abraham, a prisoner at HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset where she worked.

She had pleaded guilty to eight charges of misconduct and to encouraging mobile phone possession in prison in October.

At Bournemouth Crown Court, Judge Stephen Climie said her offending "involved personal gain".

Ms Martin denied a further charge of supplying Abraham with a mobile phone, which the prosecution indicated would lie on file.

On Tuesday, Judge Climie heard that Martin made hundreds of phone and video calls to Abraham, who had a "significant criminal history", between November 2020 and March 2021.

He was told that the pair also sent 900 WhatsApp messages between them within the four-month period, some of which were of an explicit nature "expressing desire to perform sexual acts on each other", and they declared their love for each other in December 2020.

The court heard that Martin received at least £10,000 on Abraham's behalf, with thousands of pounds spent on online clothing websites.

'Infatuated'

In mitigation, the court was told that Martin had been diagnosed with ADHD and was likely suffering a depressive episode when her relationship developed with Abraham.

It was also told that Martin "deeply regrets" her actions as she was "infatuated" with Abraham and her weaknesses were "exploited" by him.

Judge Climie told Martin: "Despite your training, you failed to follow the guidance.

"I am satisfied that Abraham identified you as a potentially vulnerable candidate for grooming and it was effective and resulted in a degree of intimacy, both face to face and also on messaging.

"It also involved you agreeing to convey items like clothing with a high monetary value."

But he said imprisonment was justified because "a significant part of your offending involved personal gain by way of the money".

Prisons minister Damian Hinds said: "We will never tolerate those few prison officers who break the rules for their own personal gain and undermine the safety of our prisons.

"Though the vast majority of officers carry out their duties to the highest standards, we will always take the strongest possible action against the small minority who fall foul of the law - including those who engage in illicit relationships."

DI Alastair Quinn from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, added that Martin "chose not to do the right thing and instead took active steps to hide her relationship and the communication she was engaging in".

He said that, if Martin had reported her association with a serving prisoner and the possession of phones, "appropriate steps could have been taken to stop further contact and prevent it from developing into a relationship".