Bridgend: HMP Parc nurse jailed for relationship with inmate

Elyse Hibbs, from Manchester, admitted misconduct in public office

A prison nurse has been jailed after engaging in "flirtatious" calls and texts with an inmate.

Elyse Hibbs, from Manchester, admitted misconduct in public office by having an inappropriate relationship with the prisoner while working at HMP Parc in Bridgend.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the 25-year-old was "manipulated" by the unnamed inmate and got in "too deep".

She sobbed as she was sentenced on Tuesday to six months in prison.

The court heard Hibbs had worked at the category B prison since September 2018 and met the inmate when she gave him medical treatment.

After concerns were raised about the inmates' behaviour he was moved to HMP Manchester in May 2021.

Conversations were 'flirtatious'

A month later, in June, the inmate used his mother and a friend to track down Hibbs on Instagram.

Hibbs gave them her mobile number.

Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, said over five weeks and five days the inmate "nurtured" his relationship with Hibbs.

They exchanged texts and calls, some of which were over the prison phone and recorded.

Mr Cobbe said their conversations were "flirtatious".

"He says he loves her and she replies she loves him too," he said.

The pair discussed the inmate having an illegal mobile and the inmate's opinions about prison corruption, the court heard.

Mr Cobbe said: "The conversations do contain several references to the defendant asking the inmate not to contact her, nevertheless the contact does continue.

"They also reveal the inmate thought very little of the defendant, he was quite clearly manipulating her."

Mr Cobbe called their chats "wholly inappropriate".

At the beginning of June, Hibbs signed off sick from work and by July 6 had resigned.

On July 13 she was arrested and since been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

'Young, impressionable and relatively inexperienced'

Hibbs claimed she was "exploited" and did not feel she could end communication because she felt "threatened" by the inmate.

Adam Sharp, defending, said the contact happened while the inmate was at a different prison and his client did not gain financially or in any other way, nor did she assist in organised crime.

Mr Sharp said: "The misconduct was not face-to-face, it wasn't even within physical proximity to each other."

He called Hibbs, 23 at the time of the offence, "young, impressionable and relatively inexperienced" and "emotionally vulnerable".

He added she had expressed remorse and called for her sentence to be suspended.

But Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Hibbs knew what she was doing was wrong and that, despite her clear remorse, the offence warranted immediate custody.

She said: "You engaged in a flirtatious relationship initially, you failed to report the ongoing contact and you failed to report that this inmate had upon him, and in custody, an unlawful device.

"He was left with the potential ability to manipulate you while you were still working at a prison.

"Although you are young you were in a position of responsibility as a nurse and as a member of prison staff."