Kelly Duffey, 36, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, worked as a generalist tutor at HMP Erlestoke and abused her position of trust by forming an inappropriate relationship with serving prisoner Ashley Goodridge
A prison tutor has been locked up after confessing to conducting an intimate affair with an inmate, which a judge branded a “foolish infatuation”.
Kelly Duffey, 36, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, received a 12-month jail term at Winchester Crown Court on Friday following two charges of misconduct in a public office relating to her relationship with Ashley Goodridge at HMP Erlestoke.
The 38 year old convict, who is serving an extended IPP sentence for cannabis cultivation, was also given a 12-month prison term to run alongside his existing sentence after admitting to possessing a mobile phone and using it to transmit a photograph from the category C men’s facility.
The court was told Duffey transitioned from full-time teaching to working within the Wiltshire prison’s education unit in May 2024, conducting an intimate liaison with Goodridge between July and September that year.
She was also aware of another staff member, a librarian, employed at the prison who was having an intimate relationship with a different inmate.
Text messages including “I love you” and photographs were shared between the duo, the court was informed. Duffey also sent a message to a mate on August 20 stating: “Definitely done something this morning I shouldn’t have.”
She further confided in her friend about discussing the affair with the librarian, who revealed their meeting spots and mentioned they had almost been discovered previously, noting: “Talked about an hour about it giggling like school girls lol.” Addressing the defendant, Judge Christopher Parker KC stated that as a woman in your mid-30s you seemed to be “overwhelmed by a foolish infatuation”.
“In your correspondence with your friend outside prison it is plain you knew the risks, you knew of the dangers, you knew what you were doing was wrong,” the judge said.
“As far as harm is concerned you exposed yourself to the risk of blackmail, you exposed yourself to the risk of being coerced into committing security breaches, or smuggling equipment into prison.
“To your credit you did not breach security and you did not smuggle any articles into prison even though you were invited to do so.”
The judge added that Duffey’s attachment to Goodridge “in hindsight appears to be rather one-sided”, but “was heartfelt and strongly binding as far as you were concerned”.
The court also heard on Duffey’s behalf that she expressed regret and is very candid about mistakes she has made.
For Goodridge, it was heard he has used his time in custody well, training as a roofer, qualified in traffic management and will be in a position to work gainfully when released from prison, where he has served “much longer than ever envisaged for a relatively unserious offence”, his barrister said.
Reacting to the sentencing, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) counter corruption investigator Pc Mark Paterson said: “The conduct displayed by Kelly Duffey will not be tolerated within a prison estate.
“She may not have been a prison officer or directly employed by HMPPS, but she was in a position of trust as an education tutor, a key role in prisoner rehabilitation.
“She misconducted herself and neglected her duty over an extended period of time, which compromised the safety of other staff and inmates.
“The SWROCU Counter Corruption Unit will continue to work alongside HMPPS and the CPS to bring to justice anyone working within the prison estate who commits criminal acts.”
Andrew Eddy, from the Crown Prosecution Service, stated that Duffey’s actions represented a “serious breach” of the trust bestowed upon those working in prisons to maintain professional boundaries between themselves and prisoners.