A prisoner officer has been jailed over her 'inappropriate relationship' with an inmate, who she went on to have a baby with, and his brother.
Lucy Thornton "fell in love" with offender Aaron Whitaker while she was working as a prison officer at HMP Altcourse in Merseyside, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
She then had a baby with him while he was released on parole.
The 28-year-old admitted two counts of misconduct in a public office for her relationships with Whittaker, who was serving time for a wounding offence, and his brother and fellow inmate, Haden Whittaker.
Thornton, of Orford, Warrington, began working on Altcourse wings in December 2018, the court heard.
Simon Duncan, prosecuting, told the court that information about her inappropriate behaviour started to emerge in March and April the following year - but when she was interviewed by the prison’s security governor, Mark Jones, she denied any wrongdoing.
On the same day she was interviewed, Aaron Whittaker’s cell was searched and officers found a piece of paper with the name Lucy and a phone number, which was later linked to Thornton.
Later searches uncovered mini mobile phones in the cells of both brothers.
The court heard there was evidence of hundreds of calls and text messages between Thornton and the two convicts while they were in prison.
Aaron was later transferred to HMP Oakwood in Wolverhampton, where he continued to stay in contact with Thornton by phone and through a prisoner email system.
She also transferred £200 into a bank account to settle a drugs debt for him after having conversations about him being under threat, the court was told.
In June 2019, Thornton was suspended from her job after a “play fight” between her and another inmate, in which officers witnessed her rolling "around on the floor" with the prisoner "on top of her" at times, according to the Liverpool Echo.
She was arrested the following month and a phone containing the contact number for Aaron, stored as 'My Baby', was found at her Warrington address.
When she was interviewed, Thornton said she and Aaron Whittaker had developed mutual feelings in February 2019 and he gave her his number so she could call him when she was off duty.
She said she contacted Haden Whittaker as a friend and was also in touch with their mother.
The court heard that Aaron began serving his sentence on September 9, 2016, while his brother was sent to the same prison on March 25 in 2019 for offences of wounding and burglary.
Mr Duncan said there was no evidence of sexual activity in the prison but when Aaron Whittaker was released in November 2019 they “got together” and she gave birth to their son last year.
She told police they are no longer in a relationship.
Anthony O’Donohoe, defending, told the court: “Her explanation is she fell in love with the wrong person in the wrong place and I suppose in the tides of men and women these things can happen, inappropriate and totally wrong though they are.”
He said Thornton was a woman of positive good character and her future prospects have been “effectively ruined” following the case.
Thornton is a full-time carer for her 10-month-old baby and had suffered post-natal depression as well as anxiety and depression as a result of court proceedings, the court heard.
Sentencing her, Judge Neil Flewitt QC said he accepted that an immediate custodial sentence would have a significant impact on her 10-month-old son but it is important to deter other prison officers who may be “tempted to betray the trust placed in them” and criminals who “might seek to exploit them”.
He added: “I regret to say I am satisfied in this case that the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by the imposition of an immediate custodial sentence.”
The judge imposed a 15 months sentence reduced by a third to reflect her guilty plea.
She was jailed for 10 months.
