Prison officer had ‘intimate’ Snapchat relationship with lag as 5,000 messages uncovered
Jade Morris, 37, and Jerome Nunes, 35, exchanged more than 5,000 illicit Snapchat messages during an intimate relationship conducted through a ‘contraband’ mobile phone at HMP Long Lartin
Prison officer Jade Morris worked at HMP Long Lartin(Image: SWNS)
A prison officer and an inmate who shared more than 5,000 covert Snapchat messages during a romantic relationship facilitated by a “contraband” mobile phone have both been sentenced to prison.
Jade Morris, who sent photos of herself to convicted drug dealer Jerome Nunes, was handed a 12-month sentence on Friday. The judge stated that she had compromised security and potentially caused immeasurable damage inside and outside HMP Long Lartin.
Nunes, who was released from a previous sentence nearly two years ago, received a nine-month sentence at Birmingham Crown Court after being told he had “abused” his relationship with Morris. The court heard on Thursday that the duo used multiple phones to keep in touch after Morris began working at the maximum-security prison in Worcestershire in 2022.
Jade Morris, who sent photos of herself to convicted drug dealer Jerome Nunes, was handed a 12-month sentence on Friday(Image: West Midlands Police / SWNS)
Morris dismissed the accusations against her as “ludicrous” at the outset of a police investigation initiated when Nunes discarded his illicitly-held “encrypted” mobile phone out of his cell window, according to the court.
Former custody officer Morris, 37, from Holmer, Hereford, pleaded guilty in March to charges of misconduct in public office and encouraging Nunes to use a banned device. Nunes, from Newport in South Wales, admitted guilt at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court in February this year to two offences under the Prison Act 1952 for possession and use of an unauthorised mobile phone.
The court was told the 35-year-old has 23 previous convictions for 31 offences and was serving time at Long Lartin for a drugs conspiracy offence handed down at Cardiff Crown Court in 2019. Delivering sentence, Judge Peter Carr told the defendants: “Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.”
Nunes, who was released from a previous sentence nearly two years ago, received a nine-month sentence(Image: West Midlands Police / SWNS)
Judge Carr addressed Morris, who wept in the dock at the beginning of the hearing and wiped her eyes with a tissue: “You had been working at the prison since January 2022. You were fully aware of your responsibilities.”
The judge, who heard that Morris phoned in sick the day after Nunes’ mobile was confiscated, said the “wrongful relationship” had encompassed up to 10,000 messages. He told Morris her explanation to police had lacked credibility, adding: “You were clearly in an intimate relationship with Mr Nunes. I accept there was no evidence of a physical relationship.”
Dismissing Morris’s assertions that she had been intimidated by Nunes, the judge added: “You could have reported matters but chose not to. I am quite satisfied that you willingly engaged in contact with Mr Nunes.” The judge said unlawful possession of mobile phones within prisons compromised security and held the potential to “cause untold harm inside and outside the establishment”.
The pair were found to have messaged each other thousands of times on Snapchat(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The judge said he had weighed up but ultimately rejected suggestions from defence barristers that the sentences should be suspended. Having learnt that Nunes has lately been operating a modest food enterprise, the judge informed him: “I accept that you have tried to reintegrate yourself into the community.”
Nunes buried his face in his hands upon discovering his sentence would not be suspended. Outlining the case details, prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard revealed Morris was detained at her residence in January 2023.
The prosecutor explained that Morris’s mobile was confiscated and thorough police investigations were carried out, revealing that a contact saved in Morris’s phone as “Ghost” was actually Nunes, and that approximately 100 messages and 23 files had been exchanged between them via WhatsApp.
Additional investigations uncovered evidence of Snapchat communications and calls, including one conversation lasting one hour and 42 minutes. Morris underwent a second interview in May 2024, during which she confessed to communicating with an inmate she declined to identify, stating she had felt intimidated and frightened.
Reflecting on the case, Georgina Davies, senior crown prosecutor in the Complex Casework Unit at the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Prison officers hold positions of significant trust and responsibility. The public are entitled to expect that those working within the prison system will act with integrity and always maintain clear professional boundaries.
“This case involved a sustained and deliberate breach of that trust. Jade Morris knew that prisoners should not have access to mobile phones yet chose to engage in a prolonged relationship with Nunes. We hope this case sends a clear message that those who abuse positions of public trust will be held to account.”
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