‘Immature’ jail officer’s relationship with assassin lag uncovered by ‘miss you’ textual content
Ellis Eyles was working at HMP Deerbolt when she had a relationship with Mitchell Ingham and gave him information about another prisoner’s location so he could ‘do him in’
She was having a relationship with Mitchell Ingham (Image: GMP)
An “immature” female prison officer who embarked on a behind-bars romance with a convicted murderer has been jailed. Ellis Eyles was 21 and employed at HMP Deerbolt when she assisted Mitchell Ingham, who fatally stabbed a man in 2015, by revealing the location of another rival he wished to target.
Their illicit affair came to light after officers carried out a routine cell inspection and discovered a contraband iPhone at the prison near Barnard Castle, County Durham.
Enquiries revealed that Ingham and Eyles had been communicating through messages and video calls. Ingham enquired about the location of another prisoner, declaring he “will get him done in”, Durham Crown Court was told.
Antonia Adie, prosecuting, stated that phone analysis showed the pair had been in touch during June and July 2023, sharing details including phone numbers and addresses.
In one text, Eyles told the convicted killer “Miss you xxx”. On another occasion, Ingham messaged her, writing: “Phone me babe x”.
One Facetime conversation lasted 37 minutes, the court was informed. When responding to the text enquiring about the whereabouts of the other prisoner Ingham wanted to target, Eyles confirmed he was housed in a segregation unit, the prosecution stated.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced her to eight months behind bars after she pleaded guilty to a single charge of misconduct in a public office at an earlier hearing.
He declared the offending was so grave that the custodial sentence could not be suspended. Judge Bennett declared: “It’s clear you were in some kind of romantic relationship with this prisoner.”
This hampered her colleagues’ ability to function and eroded public trust in the Prison Service, the judge stated.
Judge Bennett said Eyles had assisted Ingham, noting: “You gave him information about another prisoner in the knowledge he was seeking to do him harm.”
Robert Mochrie, defending, described Eyles as “immature” when she began working at the prison, having completed just six weeks of training. Half a day of that training focused on anti-corruption measures, he explained.
“What you have here is a person of hitherto good character who falls into serious error by virtue of manipulation of the criminal mind,” he argued.
“That is what happened here to her eternal regret.”
Mr Mochrie revealed that Eyles, now 24 and from Darlington, possessed an “incredible work ethic” and secured employment with a bank after leaving the Prison Service.
There, he said, she prevented a customer who had fallen victim to a romance scam from suffering further financial losses.
Ingham, now 25, received a nine-month sentence at an earlier hearing for charges relating to possessing and using a mobile phone whilst incarcerated.
He was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure for the 2015 murder of Dominic Doyle at a pub in Denton, Greater Manchester, and must serve a minimum term of 14 years, it was previously reported.
