Iron Miah: Belmarsh prison officer jailed for lying in murder case

Iron Miah was found with a gunshot wound to the head in Nelson Street, east London

A prison officer has been jailed at the Old Bailey after being given "money, gifts and promises" to lie for a defendant awaiting trial for murder.

Wiktoria Bujko, 30, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice for reporting a "false confession" by a man awaiting trial for Iron Miah's murder.

Mr Miah, 40, was shot dead in Nelson Street, east London, in November 2019.

Three men were jailed for life for his murder at the same court on 29 February.

Mohammed Moshaer Ali, 31, of Dagenham, Antonio Afflick-McLeod, 32, of Ilford, and Aaron Campbell, 32, of Fulham, were found guilty of Mr Miah's murder at the conclusion of a third trial for the case.

An earlier trial had to be aborted after former prison officer Bujko came forward with a false account to police.

Bujko, of Marlborough Road, was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for perverting the course of justice.

'False account'

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC previously told the same court Ali had persuaded Bujko to create an "entirely false account of a confession by Aaron Campbell".

At the time, she was working at high security HMP Belmarsh in south-east London where all three defendants were being held on remand.

Ali had "repeatedly shown himself to be an outrageous liar" and rewarded the female prison officer with "money, gifts and promises", Mr Aylett said.

• Three guilty of 'brutal execution' of drug dealer

On 17 October 2022, shortly before a retrial was due to begin, Bujko made a statement about a conversation she claimed to have overheard between Campbell and another inmate.

Someone paid £500 into Bujko's bank account the day after she submitted her witness statement, the court was told.

Wiktoria Bujko was working at HMP Belmarsh where all three defendants were being held on remand

Her statement suggested that Campbell and Afflick-McLeod had planned to rob Ali of drugs.

A jury heard that Bujko had known Ali since he was first remanded to HMP Thameside, where she had been working.

Ali was sentenced to life with a minimum of 36 years for murder, with a concurrent sentence for perverting the course of justice.

Afflick-McLeod was sentenced to life with a minimum of 34 years for murder., with a concurrent sentences for drugs charges and possession of a firearm.

Campbell was sentenced to life with a minimum of 31 years for murder.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]