Prison officer Rebecca Pinkard, 46, embarked on a fling with an inmate at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, and was said to have ‘performed oral sex on that prisoner’
A prison officer who had a secret relationship with an inmate has been jailed for seven months in jail for performing a sex act on him. Rebecca Pinkard, 46, admitted having a fling with the prisoner at HMP Highpoint in Stradishall, Suffolk, which lasted between April and July 2024.
She was arrested and faced a charge that she “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted herself” in a way which amounted to “an abuse of the public’s trust”.
She did so “by engaging in a relationship” with a prisoner she was responsible for, sending a card to him and “performing oral sex on that prisoner while working as a prison officer”. Pinckard, of Newmarket, Suffolk had previously pleaded guilty to the offence at Cambridge Crown Court on November 19 and was sentenced today (January 16).
Court documents specified that she was ‘engaging in a relationship’ and ‘[sent] a card to that prisoner’ between April 9 and July 6, 2024.
The prisoner Erion Nakdi appeared via video link and was sentenced to ten months to serve concurrent to his original time served.
The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) was made aware of the offence on July 8 last year. At the time, the ERSOU – made up of staff from seven police forces in the East of England – described the then alleged relationship as “inappropriate”.
Det Insp Puneet Netar, from ERSOU’s regional organised crime unit, told the BBC : “Rebecca Pinkard clearly abused her position as a prison officer and made a conscious decision to enter into a relationship with an inmate.
“Public trust in the justice system depends on integrity, and our team works closely with the Prison Service to ensure that, where misconduct or corruption is occurring, those responsible are fully investigated. We will continue to work alongside partner agencies to target those who abuse their position, so that they are held accountable.”
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