Prison officer had phone sex with dangerous gangster and sent him steamy letters

A lovestruck prison officer who had phone sex with an inmate and shared steamy letters about their "romps" herself faces jail.

Megann Gibson, 26, this week pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office and possession of cannabis, after embarking on an illicit relationship with the unnamed lag. While working at HM Prison Wealstun near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, Gibson allowed the thug into restricted areas of the category C jail.

A court heard Gibson also visited the inmate at his resettlement accommodation, and sent his mum more than 900 messages in an apparent bid to keep in touch with the lag. However, the rookie officer was snagged and, upon her arrest, police discovered £1,000 in cash, which she claimed to have withdrawn from her bank to save for a tattoo. Checks, though, revealed the money was never taken out.

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Gibson was due to be sentenced on Thursday, but the hearing was adjourned and she will instead appear at Leeds Crown Court again in November. Her charge states Gibson engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with the serving prisoner. This includes having "sexual communications via telephone".

But Louise Pryke, prosecuting, said: "I don't know if they had sex or not. It seems from the content of the letters that they did." Speaking at Leeds Crown Court, she continued: added: "This was an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner which included very explicit letters that were sent about sexual activity.

"The nature of the letters [suggests] there probably was [sexual activity], but the crown can't say for definite. It's a wholly inappropriate relationship with a serving prisoner who is a member of an organised crime group. There's some suggestion she met with members of that group."

Wealstun houses around 900 prisoners and offers training courses to help with rehabilitation. In just five months of working at the Category C resettlement prison, Gibson's behaviour triggered 102 anti-corruption intelligence reports, the court was told. The red flags equated to almost one every working day, Judge Kate Rayfield noted.

A hearing will be held in November to determine the basis on which Gibson's sentencing should proceed. Her case comes aftera prison officer admitted to an inappropriate relationship with an inmate at the category C jail HMP Usk, and nearby open prison HMP Prescoed, both in Gwent, South Wales.

The relationship is reported to have taken place between February and May 2022. The charge states: "While acting as a public officer, namely a prison officer, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by having a relationship with a prisoner."