A prison officer has been sentenced to 12 months in jail for having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate and misconduct with other prisoners. Aimee Duke (26) from Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, was handed the custodial sentence at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday.
Duke worked at HMP Five Wells, a category C prison in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, starting in April 2022. CCTV evidence showed her entering prisoners' cells without professional reason and acting inappropriately with inmates.
Text messages revealed the extent of the inappropriate relationship between Duke and the prisoner. In one message, the prisoner wrote: "I want us to be together 100%", while Duke responded: "I can't wait to see you".
Investigation details
Duke was searched in August 2022 when a piece of paper with a prisoner's ID number was found in her purse. According to the Daily Mail, the staff search took place on August 12, with Duke arrested on September 23, 2022.
The Daily Mail reports Duke also violated prison regulations by carrying her personal bag onto the prison wing and accessing unauthorized areas. These additional breaches demonstrated a pattern of misconduct beyond the inappropriate relationship.
Court proceedings
Duke was charged with four counts of misconduct in public office. She pleaded guilty to two counts at a hearing in May, with the other two counts ordered to remain on file.
Detective Inspector Richard Cornell from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: "Prison officers are in positions of authority and unfortunately, Aimee Duke used her position to form inappropriate relationships. Her actions do not reflect the fact that most prison staff are law-abiding citizens who carry out their duties to the highest standards."
Cornell added the sentence should send "a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate behaviour such as in this case will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law."
Sources used: "PA Media", "Evening Standard", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
