Niamh Lloyd began working at the category B jail when she was just 19, but her supervisors noticed she was ‘displaying flirtatious behaviour’, particularly towards career criminal Lee Makin
A prison officer jailed for a fling with an inmate at a high-security jail told him she was with him “for the thrill”, a court heard.
Niamh Lloyd, 22, had an affair with career criminal Lee Makin, 40, while she was working at Forest Bank jail in Salford, Greater Manchester, where he was serving six years for burglary. Their relationship continued after Makin was later transferred to HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, North Wales.
The pair engaged in sexual conversations over the phone as well as in letters she addressed to “Big Lee”. At one point, she told Makin she was with him “for the thrill”, adding: “I don’t like doing what I’m told.”
During their conversations Lloyd identified a prisoner at category B jail Forest Bank as a paedophile and disclosed “operational information” to Makin about the prison, Manchester Crown Court was told.
Lloyd, who previously worked as a civilian assistant for Greater Manchester Police and also runs a beauty business, burned letters in a bid to destroy evidence after being arrested at her home in Wigan, reports MEN.
She was said to have been “cocky and arrogant” in her police interview, but detectives discovered she had a second address in Bolton, where she was burning letters between her and Makin.
He told Lloyd in an email: “Hey sexy, just got your email, they always make me happy. I don’t want to be your friend, I love you so much, you need to start talking to me. I’m worried, I miss you a lot. I don’t want to lose you. Will you send me some money? Love you, big Lee.”
Detectives found Makin had added Lloyd’s mobile number to his list of authorised contacts in prison and discovered more than 40 hours of sexual chats between the two. And despite being on police bail, Lloyd continued to contact Makin via third parties using false names, the court heard.
The pair transferred money to each other and were planning for their future upon Makin’s release, it was heard. Prison officers searched Lee Makin’s cell at HMP Berwyn and found photographs of Lloyd.
Prosecutor John Richards told the court Lloyd became a prison officer at Forest Bank in August 2021, aged 19. The court heard her supervisors raised concerns in 2022 after reports she was flirting and acting inappropriately with some prisoners, particularly Makin.
On Wednesday, Lloyd was jailed for a year after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office. Makin, who was released from prison in July last year, was recalled for breaching his license conditions. He pled guilty to assisting/ encouraging misconduct in a public office and was also jailed for a year.
Judge Alan Conrad KC told Lloyd: “As a prison officer, you became much too close to your co-defendant. What you did undermines the balance and good order of prison life. You also set about destroying evidence by burning papers.”
Makin had 69 previous offences on his record, and was described as a “career criminal” by the judge. Lloyd had no previous convictions.
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