Prison tutor whose fling with lag uncovered after picture present in bed room learns destiny
Melissa Murphy, 48, admitted having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate at HMP Chelmsford after letters were discovered between the pair and a photo of the prisoner was found in her bedroom
Melissa Murphy was sentenced(Image: SWNS)
A prison worker whose secret affair with a male inmate was exposed when their love letters were found, along with a photograph of the prisoner in her bedroom, has been jailed.
Melissa Murphy, a 48-year-old prison tutor, confessed to having an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner at HMP Chelmsford. The illicit liaison came to light when another staff member tried to enter a classroom where they were alone, only to find it locked from the inside.
A stash of letters between Murphy (previously known as Melissa O’Brien) and the inmate were unearthed, and a picture of him was discovered in her bedroom, according to the police.
Today, she was jailed fot eight months.
Murphy had been employed at the prison for four years and first encountered the inmate in the summer of 2023. She claimed that she received the first letter from the prisoner in November of the same year.
However, instead of reporting the contact, Murphy responded, and the pair exchanged several letters hinting at a budding romance, the police force revealed. The situation came to a head when another prison staff member attempted to enter a classroom where only Murphy and the prisoner were present, finding the door locked from the inside and her keys missing.
The police stated that her job required her to keep her keys on her person at all times to prevent any inmates from gaining access and potentially escaping. Following the report of this incident, Murphy was arrested, and more letters detailing their correspondence were found at her home, along with the photo of the prisoner in her bedroom.
Murphy, from Chelmsford, was initially arrested on 11 December 2023 and subsequently dismissed from her role as a teacher assisting inmates at HMP Chelmsford with employment after release. She was charged via postal requisition on 12 February 2025 and admitted guilt at Chelmsford Crown Court on 28 November to one count of misconduct in a public office.
Essex Police’s Detective Constable Becky Sparrow stated: “Murphy abused a position of trust by forming this inappropriate relationship. By definition, anyone held in prison is in a vulnerable position.
She added: “The integrity of everyone working within the criminal justice system is required to keep prisoners and the public safe. By entering into this relationship, Murphy compromised that integrity, exploited a vulnerable man and left herself open to exploitation too.
“We worked closely with the security department and staff at HMP Chelmsford throughout this investigation to ensure this case was as strong as possible, and left her with no option but to plead guilty.”
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