Overview
- Heidi Bessant, 38, pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to misconduct in a public office.
- Prosecutors said she formed a relationship with a prisoner between November 2023 and June 2024 while he was serving sentences for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and blackmail.
- The pair met at hotels and restaurants during his day release, with Bessant picking him up from and returning him to the prison on multiple occasions.
- Investigators found they exchanged calls and texts using a mobile phone the inmate was not permitted to have, and Bessant arranged deposits into his prison account using his bank card.
- SWROCU said it will continue working with HMPPS counter-corruption teams, as attention on HMP Leyhill also follows recent New Year’s Day abscondings and reported plans for rapid deployment cells later this year.