Prison officer jailed after kissing and sending 'sexualised' messages to inmate
20 February 2025, 16:44
A prison officer has been sentenced to a year behind bars after she kissed and sat on the lap of an inmate at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire.
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Toni Cole, 29, shared 4,431 texts and calls with a 28-year prisoner over a five-month period which were "sexualised or flirtatious" in nature, including a photograph of underwear.
Appearing at Northampton Crown Court on February 13, Cole pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and was handed a 12-month sentence as well as a £187 fine.
Northamptonshire Police said Cole spent "considerable time" with the prisoner, whom she admitted she had kissed on at least one occasion, at the prison in Wellingborough. The illicit relationship came to light on January 25, 2023, after Cole was called in to explain an unauthorised overtime shift she had worked two days earlier.
Damming CCTV showed the prisoner with his arm around Cole, as police confirmed the pair spent "considerable time" together while she was at work
The prison officer, of Gordon Road, Wellingborough, had her Samsung S22 mobile phone seized from her locker when she was arrested and police found that there had been at least 18 video calls between the pair and they had shared messages between September 2022 and January 2023.
The investigation also found that the prison officer had sat on the inmate's lap and "promised to tip him off" if she found out his cell was going to be "spun" by her colleagues, police said.
Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from East Midland special operations unit's regional prison intelligence unit, said: "Toni Cole knew what she was doing was totally inappropriate, and that her behaviour was not only putting her at risk, but also the safety of her colleagues and inmates.
"The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate relationships will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law."
