A female prison officer has been jailed after she had a passionate affair with a dangerous inmate, sending him explicit videos and taking pictures of them kissing in his cell.
Ayshea Gunn, 27, exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with Khuram Razaq, 29, in less than five months while working at Berwyn prison in Wrexham.
She smuggled the prisoner a pair of her knickers in her bra and the pair also sent messages to each other about ‘cell searching tactics’, a court heard.
Pictures from the psychology and criminology graduate’s phone show her hugging and kissing the convicted armed robber, who is serving a 12-year sentence, in his cell.
Prosecuting at Mold Crown Court, Simon Mills told the hearing Gunn sent her bank details to an associate of her prisoner lover and £1,500 was subsequently put in her account.
Gunn, of Pant Glas, Wrexham, previously admitted misconduct in public office between July and November last year, and was sentenced to 12 months today.
Former prison officer Ayshea Gunn, 27, is pictured in a passionate embrace with her prison lover, convicted armed robber Khuram Razaq, 29
Ayshea Gunn, 27, sent or received more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with Khuram Razaq, 29, in five months
A Glamorous selfie shows Gunn posing in the mirror on a night out. She worked as a probationary officer at Berwyn Prison where she met her lover Razaq
Ayshea Gunn, 27, and Khuram Razaq, 29, are pictured in their police mugshots after she was arrested and jailed for having an affair with him
Mr Mills told the court Gunn had been a probationary officer at at the new Category C prison in Wrexham, which had 1,200 inmates and 500 staff at the time.
She and Razaq exchanged 1,213 calls between late August 2018 and the November.
Berwyn is a new build jail in which each two-man cell – referred to as rooms – has a laptop as well as a phone, shower and toilet.
But the pair were also using mobile phones to send each other explicit sexual videos and stream live footage of themselves.
Razaq had told Gunn: ‘I can’t wait until next week. I am going to throw you on my bed.’
Gunn’s defence argued: ‘Someone showed her affection and stupidly she accepted it. She is remorseful and ashamed’
Mr Mills said Gunn also sent screenshots to Razaq of prison officers’ WhatsApp chats about prisoners, including discussion about search tactics, telling the court: ‘That was an act of betrayal.’
She began working there shortly before the prison opened in February 2017 and had training including in security awareness and corruption prevention.
There was ‘conditioning’ training to make officers aware of the risk of prisoners trying to compliment and later exploit them, as well as warning posters.
But Mr Mills said the pair ‘weren’t being particularly subtle’ about their inappropriate relationship – colleagues of Gunn’s noticed the time she spent with Razaq, including long periods inside his cell.
After numerous reports an internal investigation was launched and and his in-cell phone examined.
Razaq had added a ‘Keeley Mason’ to his contacts list and made regular calls to her from September 2018. The calls were intercepted and Gunn’s voice recognised.
Razaq, dealt with separately, must serve a consecutive eight months jail term after he pleaded guilty to possessing a Garmin smartwatch and a mobile phone in jail
The officer also bought clothing for Razaq and placed a bet for him.
After she appeared before magistrates she had posted press photographs of her onto her own Instagram account apparently ‘revelling’ in the situation.’
Peter Hunter, defending, said: ‘She knows what she did was wrong.’
Gunn had been in a four-year relationship when she joined the Prison Service. Her boyfriend also joined the service but he cheated on her with another warder and Gunn became depressed.
There was no financial gain by Gunn, the lawyer maintained. ‘Some 17 months ago she was in a period where she was at the bottom in her world. Someone showed her affection and stupidly she accepted it. She is remorseful and ashamed.’
The group chat messages weren’t made public by her, Mr Hunter said. ‘She fears what will happen in custody,’ he added.
Judge Nicolas Parry told Gunn: ‘This case is all about breaching trust and you were the person trusted.’
Gunn said she had fallen in love with the criminal, who received two double-digit sentences before hte age of 30
The judge said: ‘Over a period of some months, infatuated, you did exhibit selfishness on a staggering scale.’
They engaged in a ‘highly sexualised and pornographic’ exchange of photographs and she remained in touch even after her arrest. It ‘beggars belief’ she appeared to revel in the publicity.
‘I accept this is a personal tragedy for you, you have acted entirely out of character. I accept you acted in what was a difficult period in your life.
‘I have no doubt that caused you to long for and search for company, thrills and comfort,’ Judge Parry said.
Razaq, dealt with separately, must serve a consecutive eight months jail term after he pleaded guilty to possessing a Garmin smartwatch and a mobile phone in jail.
Mr Mills said he formed a ‘grossly inappropriate’ relationship with Gunn which had contributed to her downfall.
‘They were sending each other sex videos and streaming footage of them in sexual acts.’
In 2008 Razaq was jailed for ten years at Birmingham crown court for armed robbery and in 2015 got twelve years for conspiracy to rob. Mr Hunter said March 2021 was Razaq’s earliest date of release.
Judge Parry told the defendant: ‘You are clearly a dangerous man. Before the age of 30 you have received two sentences in double figures.’