Linton Weirich is the inmate who was filmed having sex with prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu in a clip widely circulated online in 2024. He has now spoken out against the prison system
Linton Weirich, who gained notoriety for engaging in sexual activity with a guard at HMP Wandsworth, has come forward to shed light on corruption within the UK’s prison system. In 2024, Weirich was caught on camera having sex with married prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu in an explicit video that quickly spread online, prompting a police inquiry.
Now 38, Weirich, who has served four separate sentences since 2003, claimed that the “system has changed”, with prison discipline deteriorating and staff corruption escalating. He said: “When I was first inside, the officers were ex-Army officers or security guards and it was like a boot camp.
“But now they’ve got young girls and 19 and 20-year-old guys working as guards and trying to tell us what to do. There’s no discipline.
“A lot of staff are corrupt and make more money from bringing stuff in than they earn in salaries.”
Speaking to The Sun, Weirich revealed: “She [De Sousa Abreu] used to bring in Nando’s and Chinese meals for inmates. We’d pay £150 for what was worth £30 or £40. I’d get money from bank transfers or cash which people would bring in.”
Reflecting on the viral video that showed him having sex with Linda De Sousa Abreu, he admitted: “People called me a legend, but the effect it’s had is terrible. It caused so much damage to my partner, my family and myself. It’s the biggest regret of my life and it damaged everything.”
Weirich was transferred from HMP Wandsworth to HMP Swaleside after the video became widespread, but he was reportedly savagely assaulted behind bars – all while cradling his three-month-old baby at the Kent prison. Weirich stated that the attack was “part of the ripple effect of what happened”.
De Sousa Abreu resigned following the emergence of the sex tape, reports the Mirror. She confessed to misconduct in a public office on July 29, 2024, and received a 15-month jail sentence on January 6 last year. She served five months at HMP Bronzefield, Surrey, before being released with a tag.
Weirich commented: “I’ve not thought about her. I just want to get on with my life.”
When questioned by The Sun at her West London residence, De Sousa Abreu denied bringing Nando’s for Weirich and his mates. She claimed Wandsworth had been “very understaffed” and “hard to manage”.
She added: “Everyone’s doing something. I regret everything I did. I’m incredibly embarrassed.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman stated: “The overwhelming majority of our prison staff are dedicated, hardworking professionals. We’re cracking down on those who aren’t through tougher vetting, a strengthened Counter-Corruption Unit and over £40million in physical security to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence in jails.”