Livvy Edney, 44, was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office for her affair with dangerous prisoner Paul Young at HMP Channings Wood – and declaring her love for him
A female prison officer at HMP Channings Wood in Devon has been sentenced to jail for conducting a romantic relationship with a dangerous prisoner after sending a Valentine’s card saying she would “make him scream”.
Livvy Edney, 44, repeatedly professed her love for convicted sex offender Paul Young while serving as his supervising officer, a court was told.
In exchange, Young recited poetry to her, spoke of taking her away to Venice and requested photographs of her breasts.
When the prison became suspicious of their liaison, Young was moved to another facility. However, the couple continued flouting regulations by maintaining telephone contact.
Following the discovery of their affair, investigators uncovered a Valentine’s Day card in Young’s cell containing a sexually explicit message from Edney, reports Devon Live.
The mother, from Grenville Avenue, Torquay, admitted misconduct in a public office and received a six-month prison sentence at Exeter Crown Court. The judge stated: “Offences of this sort risk undermining public trust in the system.”
Edney became Young’s key supervisor in 2023, the court was told. Prison staff grew so suspicious of the pair that Young, who was serving a Public Protection sentence for a serious sexual offence, was relocated to HMP The Verne.
Edney appeared ‘very concerned’ about Young and volunteered to empty his cell, prosecutor Tom Bradnock revealed.
The duo managed to maintain contact through three-way telephone calls involving Young’s mother, who was an authorised contact.
During the calls, which were monitored and recorded, Edney masqueraded as Young’s long-lost friend, Jules. The half-hour calls ‘clearly demonstrated an inappropriate relationship’ between Edney and Paul Young, stated the prosecutor.
“They declared their love for each other,” said Mr Bradnock. “Paul Young would frequently reading out poems he’d written for the defendant.”
They also discussed potential dates following his release and the prospect of a trip to Venice. They conversed about items of clothing they had previously swapped, so they could sleep and soak up each other’s scent, the court was told.
There were numerous references to sexual behaviour and synchronised masturbation sessions.
“The prosecution can’t say based on the transcripts of the recordings whether it was a physical relationship,” said Mr Bradnock. “But clearly it was within their contemplation.”
The final conversation took place on February 11 in 2023. Edney was arrested just shy of a month later. Examination of her phone uncovered searches for the defendant and about IPP sentences.
Young’s cell was searched, and a Valentine’s card featuring two penguins on the front was discovered. The message inside read “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ll make you scream” with reference to a sex toy
Edney initially denied any wrongdoing. The court heard she had a troubled upbringing, suffers from ADHD and had only recently returned to work at the time of the offence after a period of illness.
She had relatively limited experience as a prison officer, yet she understood it was forbidden to conduct herself inappropriately towards an inmate.
The court was told it wasn’t Young’s first romantic involvement with a prison officer, which had captivated Edney’s interest. She refuted claims the affair was sexual in nature.
Judge James Patrick said: “There is no evidence of that but plainly your relationship was highly sexual even if not physical.”
Detective Sergeant Will Martel of the SWROCU, said: “Edney went to significant lengths to conceal the relationship, knowing that it was a serious breach of her position.
“Corruption will not be tolerated within our prisons. Working closely with HMPPS, staff across the prison estate and wider policing partners, we will continue to root out misconduct of this nature.”
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