‘Bubbly blonde’ jail boss responsible of fling with inmate who gave her a £12k Mercedes

Kerri Pegg was a “rising star” in the prison service, but her career lies in tatters after her relationship with a drug gang boss and she’s facing jail herself for misconduct in a public office

A prison governor faces jail after being found guilty of having a fling with a drug-dealing gang boss who gifted her a £12,000 Mercedes while he was an inmate at her nick.

Kerri Pegg, 42, helped drug dealer Anthony Saunderson – known to criminal associates as “Jesse Pinkman” after the meth-dealing character from Breaking Bad – get day release from HMP Kirkham, Lancs.

And she then received a flash car from her lag lover in return for she green-lighting his release, which he paid for in drugs, a jury was told. He is serving 35 years behind bars for conspiracy to produce and supply drugs and conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.

Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a “rising star” in the Prison Service, quickly climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years.

Divorcee Pegg, described in court as, “petite, blonde and bubbly, had a boob job while working in the Prison Service, the court was told.

But she now faces a stretch behind bars herself after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property.

One of the misconduct charges relates to her fling with Saunderson and the second was due to failing to disclose county court judgements about her debts Preston Crown Court heard Pegg released Saunderson on licence in 2019 despite not having the authority to approve the bid.

After he was granted his freedom, the “manipulative and dishonest” con used his drug-peddling money to buy Pegg the Mercedes coupe. On April 6, 2020, Saunderson was sent a message on Encrochat saying “car here for ya bird 12 quid or work” and a photo of the vehicle. The court was told “12 quid” meant £12,000 and “work” meant drugs.

Police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, in November 2020. The Mercedes paid for by Saunderson was parked outside. They discovered designer clothes, handbags and jewellery, and found Pegg living way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces.

Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments which amounted to misconduct, as debts make officials vulnerable to corruption.

Her four credit cards were “maxed out” and she had 6p in her savings account. Detectives also found a toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops, both carrying Saunderson’s DNA.

During her trial, it emerged Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme, titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) for inmates at several jails – while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory.

Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was due to his involvement in the BADD programme. But even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg and away from his wife and “work”.

Andrew Alty, for Pegg, told the jury his client was “green and stupid” but suggested Saunderson was “a manipulative and dishonest person who has fooled many people along the way”.

But it took jurors just two hours and 43 minutes to find her guilty following a three-week trial. Pegg made no reaction as the guilty verdicts were delivered.

Judge Graham Knowles told Pegg a prison term was “inevitable”. She will be sentenced at a later date.

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