A female prison guard who romped in a prison storeroom with an armed robber and later had his baby was spared jail on Tuesday.
Mother-of-five Rachel Stanton, 31, admitted to wilful misconduct in public office after she entered a relationship with Edwin Poole while he was serving a 10-and-a-half-year sentence in HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Her romance with Poole was uncovered when prison staff found three intimate photographs and a sexy love letter in the inmate's cell.
CCTV footage also caught the pair going into a prison storeroom for an hour of 'intimacy', Northampton Crown Court heard.
Stanton was suspended following the discovery of their relationship in July 2022 and Poole was moved to another prison. She continued to visit him and the lovers now have a child together but have since separated.
The defendant wept in the dock as she was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered to take part in 20 days rehabilitation activity.
Prison guard Rachel Stanton (pictured)admitted to wilful misconduct in public office after she entered a relationship with armed robber Edwin Poole
The 31-year-old wept in the dock as she was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months
Edwin Poole (pictured) was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in 2018 after being involved in a four-day spate of violent armed robberiesin the West Midlands and Staffordshire
Sentencing Stanton on Tuesday, Judge David Herbert KC said: 'You should have known better. Your offending is so serious it demands a custodial sentence.
'I have to sentence you for a single offence. In short you had a relationship with a prisoner.
'There was clear indisputable evidence between you that was discovered. They found a sexually explicit letter and some intimate images of yourself.
'CCTV footage shows the two of you together and you were in a room privately, together. Some intimacy must have taken place.
'She should have known what the boundaries were. It shouldn't take training to know she shouldn't be doing that.'
Judge Herbert gave Stanton credit for her guilty plea saying he was satisfied the relationship with Poole was 'entirely consensual'.
He added: 'If you can stay out of trouble you have nothing to fear but it will be hanging over your head - work hard at the order.'
Stanton had been working as a trainee G4S security first line manager at HMP Five Wells in 2022 when she met Poole.
Poole was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in 2018 after being involved in a four-day spate of violent armed robberies.
Stanton, who wore no make-up, jeans and a black top, covered her head with a tote bag as she left court with a friend
Stanton began the relationship with Poole while he was serving a 10-and-a-half year sentence in HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire (pictured)
The then 27-year-old used a crowbar wrapped in a bin liner to bludgeon shop staff, while Darren Morris, 37, stole cigarettes, alcohol and, a tillat convenience stores in the West Midlands and Staffordshire.
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that thousands of pounds of goods and cash were stolen during the spree, said to be fuelled by drink and drugs, while three shopkeepers were badly hurt by Poole.
Lee Egan, defending, said Stanton had not abused her position to smuggle in contraband items or allowed herself to be 'exploited'.
He added she was an 'inexperienced' officer who had been chosen for a training course that would have seen her in charge of a whole landing of men at the super-prison.
Stanton, who wore no make-up, jeans and a black top, covered her head with a tote bag as she left court with a friend.
The Prison Service has been rocked by dozens of female warders being caught for having inappropriate relationships with criminals in jails where they are working in recent years.
In January, a whistleblower told MailOnline that female prison wardens were having sex with inmates because young, inexperienced staff were being put in jails without being trained on how to reject the advances of pent-up male prisoners.
Professor Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, revealed that low-paid new recruits were being rushed through a training process which leaves them ill-equipped to properly deal with manipulative criminals.
Another insider told MailOnline that some female staff are so ill-prepared for the job that some turn up for a shift 'glammed up' with full make-up and even false eyelashes as if they are going for a night out.
The dangers of manipulative male prisoners was illustrated in December last year when prison worker Ruth Shmylo, 26, from Pontypridd was prosecuted but then cleared after she revealed that she only had 'phone sex' with gangster inmate Harri Pullen after he made terrifying threats to harm her and her family.
Ruth Shmylo, 26, from Pontypridd was prosecuted but then cleared after she revealed that she only had 'phone sex' with gangster inmate Harri Pullen after he made terrifying threats to harm her and her family
Aisha Golsby, 23, (pictured) was working at HMP Portland in Dorset when she became involved with convict Deano Harrison
Golsby started working at the HMP Portland in April 2020, when she was just 19 years old. Pictured: Aisha Golsby leaving Poole Magistrates Court
Prison officer Ayshea Gunn with inmate Khuram Razaq in the cells of HMP Berwyn, Britain's largest prison
Last September prison guard Joanne Hunter, 28, (pictured) was jailed for three years after having a relationship with an inmate
Hunter also smuggled cannabis to the same inmate at HMP Forest Bank in Salford.The judge, Recorder Paul Hodgkinson, jailed her for three years, saying her actions had 'struck at the heart of the criminal justice system'
Sarah Jane Williams seen leaving court during her trial, prior to being jailed
Figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published last year revealed that across the prison system, officers caught having affairs with inmates were found to have hit a record high, with 36 warders sacked for them since 2019.
Some 31 female prison officers and five male warders were dismissed for misconduct in this period – almost double the 19 female staff sacked during the previous four years.
Last September prison guard Joanne Hunter, 28, was jailed for three years after having a relationship with an inmate and smuggling cannabis to him at HMP Forest Bank in Salford.
In December, prison officer Sarah Jane Williams, 38, of Widnes, Cheshire, was jailed for 18 months after she shared 'intimate sexual chat' and explicit images with three inmatesshe had relationships with.
The mother-of-three was working at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool when she 'fell into the traps and into the arms of sophisticated criminals', her lawyers said.
Elsewhere, HMP Berwyn in North Wales has faced a staffing crisis after dismissing no fewer than 18 female members of staff for inappropriate relationships with prisoners.
Last month, the Metropolitan Police force said it was investigating ashocking video that appeared to show a female prison officer having sex with an inmate in a cell at HMP Wandsworth.
The woman was seen wearing uniform during the explicit clip, which begins with her seemingly performing a sex act on an unidentified prisoner at the Category A jail in south-west London.
Last month, the Metropolitan Police force said it was investigating a shocking video that appeared to show a female prison officer having sex with an inmate in a cell at HMP Wandsworth
The footage showed her having sex with the prisoner while his cellmate filmed on a mobile phone. Footage of the cell showed a TV and piles of clothes heaped over a bunk bed.
Vanessa Frake, former head of security at Wormwood Scrubs, called the footage 'shocking'.
She told MailOnline: 'This is what is completely wrong with the prison service in this day and age!'
A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Staff corruption is not tolerated and the former prison officer allegedly featured in this video has been reported to the police.
'It would be inappropriate to comment further while they investigate.'
Linda De Sousa Abreu was charged after the video of the alleged activity was shared on social media.
The 30-year-old, who denied the charges, was granted conditional bail and will appear for a plea and case management hearing on July 29 at Isleworth Crown Court.
Female guards who have had relationships with inmates
Joanne Hunter, 28, conducted a relationship with Connor Willis while working at HMP Forest Bank in Salford.
Hunter - described as 'naive' and 'vulnerable' in court - believed Willis was 'in love' with her and agreed to smuggle packages, including cannabis, into prison for him. She also sent him explicit photographs, which were later found on her phone.
Manchester Crown Court heard how Hunter, who has a master's degree in Childhood and Youth studies, began working at the prison in December 2018.
Joanne Hunter, 28, (pictured) conducted a relationship with Connor Willis while working at HMP Forest Bank in Salford
In December 2020, prison authorities received information that she was taking items inside and when she was interviewed by security managers she admitted having a relationship with Willis.
She smuggled packages, including some containing cannabis, inside the prison by passing them on to another prisoner - whom she knew as a 'big player' and a member of a crime gang - for Willis. Willis offered to pay her £200-300 for each package, but she refused to take the money.
Hunter, from Bury, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and bringing or conveying cannabis into the prison at a hearing in March.
She pleaded not guilty to bringing or conveying an unauthorised mobile phone into the prison and that charge was laid on file. Richard Orme, defending, said that Hunter was a 'naive, impressionable and vulnerable young woman'.
'She was ripe for picking for an unscrupulous criminal to take advantage of her in her first job out of education,' he said.
Mr Orme said Hunter had never had a serious relationship or boyfriend because 'she was focused on her education'.
The judge, Recorder Paul Hodgkinson, jailed her for three years, saying her actions had 'struck at the heart of the criminal justice system' and discipline and order at the prison had been 'severely undermined', putting the public, fellow prison officers and other inmates at risk.
Aisha Golsby, 23, was working at HMP Portland in Dorset when she became involved with convict Deano Harrison.
Harrison, who was 21 at the time and who has convictions for robbery and drug dealing, struck up the illicit relationship with glamourous Golsby by messaging her on Instagram with a phone illegally smuggled into jail.
The besotted pair called and messaged each other, with the prisoner gushing he had 'never felt love like it' before while she wrote of how she trusted him with her heart.
Aisha Golsby, 23, (pictured) was working at HMP Portland in Dorset when she became involved with convict Deano Harrison
While Golsby filed reports about other inmates having mobile phones, she failed to do so for Harrison because of her feelings for him - event tipping him off about cell searches so he could hide his phone.
His mobile was finally found and a search of it by Golsby's shocked colleagues revealed the relationship between her and Harrison.
Golsby, from Weymouth, Dorset, was arrested and interviewed. She was suspended from her job before handing in her resignation two months later. She pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct in a public office and was jailed at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Golsby started working at the HMP Portland in April 2020, when she was just 19 years old. Harrison initially made contact with her through Instagram in August 2021.
In one message Harrison wrote to her: 'I have not felt like this about anyone. I never thought it would get deep, I didn't think I would get attached to you. I've never felt love for someone in such a small amount of time.'
The search of his phone showed Golsby sent Harrison a message in January 2022, when she was concerned someone had found out about them saying 'I trusted you with my whole f***ing heart, I really hope what you are saying is true'.
There were also 11 phone calls logged between them from January 23 until the phone was discovered in a cell search on January 28.
Harrison was moved to another prison but made several attempts to contact Golsby, with letters being intercepted by the prison service.
Golsby also sent him messages printed through Free Prints saying she was thinking of him in 'affectionate terms'.
Hollie Gilbery, defending, told the court Golsby was a hardworking young woman with no previous convictions and very clear remorse 'at her own stupidity'.
She sought to persuade judge Jonathan Fuller to give Golsby a suspended sentence. But in jailing her for 16 months he said misconduct in the prison service must be dealt with seriously by the courts.
Sarah Jane Williams, 38, of Widnes, Cheshire, was working at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool when she 'fell into the traps and into the arms of sophisticated criminals', her lawyers said.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the jail worker knew the inmates had mobile phones — but opted to begin exchanging messages and explicit images with them, rather than reporting their illegal devices to her bosses.
Williams 'fell into the traps and fell into the arms of sophisticated criminals', her lawyers said
The court heard that these included 'sexual messages and chat and images, intimate sexual chat'.
Williams did not engage in any physical sexual contact with the people she was meant to be guarding.
The court heard that after finishing her training — which included training on 'corruption prevention' — she had been placed in the 'Canal' wing of Altcourse.
The mother-of-three was jailed for 18 months.
Katie Loxton was a serving prison custody officer at HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire when she first met Adam Higgs, 32.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Loxton, 27, would spend a large portion of her time on the block where Higgs was housed, which raised the suspicions of a number of her colleagues.
Further checks revealed that the pair had bypassed the prison's security system and were communicating via a fake contact on Higgs' telephone in his cell. Higgs made 3,451 calls to the number and spoke with Loxton for more than 380 hours.
Katie Loxton (pictured) was a serving prison custody officer at HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire when she first met Adam Higgs, 32
Higgs (pictured), of Grantham, Lincolnshire, made 3,451 calls on a secret phone and spoke with Loxton for more than 380 hours
The calls cost him a total of £798 between July 7, 2021 and January 13, 2022.
He also hid a mobile phone, which he then used to communicate with Loxton through social media. The court heard that the pair would often 'perform sexual acts to each other' while speaking on the phone.
Loxton was arrested and her home searched on January 27 last year. During the search, three handwritten letters from Higgs were found inside.
Higgs, of Grantham, Lincolnshire, was interviewed about the findings in prison in March 2022. The pair later admitted their offences in court.
Loxton, of Sandwell, West Midlands, also admitted transmitting or causing the transmission of an image/sound by electronic means from within a prison.
She was jailed for 12 months for misconduct in a public office.
Roxanne Walker, 34, was spotted by colleagues giggling with 'manipulative' prisoner Daniel Carter at the £250million HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, North Wales. She later confessed to police: 'I've made a mistake. I've fallen in love with Daniel Carter; it's completely wrong.'
Walker, whose marriage has now broken down, received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, in addition to 200 hours of unpaid work.
The prison opened in 2017 and has been dubbed 'Britain's cushiest jail' for its unconventional approach to incarceration, which includes referring to cells as 'rooms'.
Roxanne Walker, 34, (pictured) was spotted by colleagues giggling with 'manipulative' prisoner Daniel Carter at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, North Wales
Walker admitted misconduct in a public office and cannabis possession.
In August 2022, Walker was spoken to in a support meeting - and she said she was 'disappointed' that her colleagues had reported her.
But the following month, Carter's use of the prison's phone system was investigated, and it emerged he'd added a female called 'Leanna Baker' to his list with whom he'd engaged in explicit conversations. It was in fact Walker.
Officers arrested Walker and searched her home, finding 'personal use' cannabis.
Andrew McInnes, defending, said: 'In her words, she'd fallen in love with Daniel Carter; a prisoner who has, it seems, a history of conditioning behaviour towards staff members.
'She realised she'd been manipulated. He told her what she wanted to hear. Her marriage was in difficulties and this was perhaps a vulnerable time in her life.'
In May, Judge Niclas Parry sentenced Walker to nine months - but was persuaded to suspend it for two years due to two 'exceptional' features in the case.
He ruled that her relationship had not resulted in any illegal items or assistance being given to the prisoner - and she is the single mother to a young dependent child.
Rachel Stanton, 31, admitted to wilful misconduct in public office after she entered a relationship with Edwin Poole while he was serving a 10-and-a-half year sentence for armed robbery in HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
The mother-of-five's romance with Poole was uncovered when prison staff found three intimate photographs and a sexy love letter in the Poole's cell.
Rachel Stanton, 31, (pictured) admitted to wilful misconduct in public office after she entered a relationship with Edwin Poole while he was serving a 10-and-a-half year sentence for armed robbery in HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
CCTV footage also caught the pair going into a prison storeroom for an hour of 'intimacy', Northampton Crown Court heard.
Stanton was suspended following the discovery of their relationship in July 2022 and Poole was moved to another prison. She continued to visit him and the lovers now have a child together but have since separated.
In July 2024, Stanton wept in the dock as she was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to take part in 20 days rehabilitation activity.
