Female jail guard cries at sentence after ‘hour of intimacy’ with inmate
A female prison guard who was busted having an illicit affair with a con broke down in court as the judge handed down her sentence.
Rachel Stanton, from Itrhlingborough, was spared jail for having a fling with Edwin Poole, a convicted armed robber serving 10-and-a-half years at HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northants.
The 39-year-old’s romance was exposed when prison staff found three intimate photographs and a racy love letter in his cell.
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The mum-of-five was also caught on CCTV going into a prison storeroom with Poole for an hour of “intimacy”, a court heard.
(Image: PA)
Following the pair’s discovery, Stanton was suspended in July 2022, and Poole was moved to another prison.
She continued to visit him and they went on to have a baby together but have since split up.
Stanton admitted wilful misconduct in public officer at Northampton Crown Court. On Tuesday, July 23, she sobbed in the dock as she was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to take part in 20 days rehabilitation activity.
Sentencing judge, David Herbert KC said: “You should have known better.
(Image: Northamptonshire Telegraph/ SWNS)
“Your offending is so serious it demands a custodial sentence.
“I have to sentence you for a single offence. In short you had a relationship with a prisoner.
“There was clear undisputable evidence between you that was discovered.
“They found a sexually explicit letter and some intimate images of yourself.
(Image: PA)
“CCTV footage shows the two of you together and you were in a room privately, together. Some intimacy must have taken place.
“She should have known what the boundaries were. It shouldn’t take training to know she shouldn’t be doing that.”
Judge Herbert gave Stanton credit for her guilty plea saying he was satisfied the relationship with Poole was “entirely consensual”.
He added: “If you can stay out of trouble you have nothing to fear but it will be hanging over your head – work hard at the order.”
(Image: Northamptonshire Telegraph/ SWNS)
Stanton had been working as a trainee G4S security first line manager at HMP Five Wells in 2022 when she met Poole, who was jailed in 2018.
Lee Egan, defending, said Stanton had not abused her position to smuggle in contraband items or allowed herself to be “exploited”.
He added she was an “inexperienced” officer who had been chosen for a training course that would have seen her in charge of a whole landing of men at the super-prison.
Stanton, who wore no make-up, jeans and a black top, covered her head with a tote bag as she left court with a friend.
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