A 27-year-old probation officer has pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office after engaging in an improper relationship with an inmate at one of Britain’s highest-security prisons.
Bethany Dent-Reynolds, from Forest Hill in south-east London, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court where she admitted the offence.
The court heard that her conduct represented a breach of public trust through her involvement with serving prisoner Kieran Robinson while employed at HMP Belmarsh.
The relationship took place over a period spanning mid-February to early May 2024, according to the charge against her.
Bethany Dent-Reynolds pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Ms Dent-Reynolds also admitted causing the nDelius Record software to perform a function intended to gain unauthorised access to computer data.
A second misconduct allegation, which claimed she had a romantic relationship with Robinson between March and April 2024, was denied and subsequently dropped by prosecutors.
She also rejected a third charge under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 relating to unauthorised computer access, which the court ordered to lie on file.
The probation officer was released on unconditional bail and will return to Woolwich Crown Court on 6 February next year to learn her sentence.
Woolwich Crown Court heard that her conduct represented a breach of public trust
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PA
HMP Belmarsh, located in Woolwich, south-east London, houses some of the country’s most dangerous offenders, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana and Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi.
The case follows a similar prosecution earlier this year involving Linda De Sousa Abreu, a 30-year-old prison officer from Fulham.
She received a 15-month custodial sentence in January after appearing in a sexually explicit video recorded inside HMP Wandsworth.
De Sousa Abreu, dressed in her full uniform, was captured on camera by another inmate while having intercourse with 36-year-old Linton Weirich in June 2024.
HMP Belmarsh houses some of the country’s most dangerous offenders, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana
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GETTYThe presiding judge noted she had participated with “evident enthusiasm”.
Prison service figures reveal a significant increase in female staff being dismissed for forming relationships with male inmates.
Between 2021 and 2024, 29 officers lost their jobs compared to just nine in the three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Mark Fairhurst, general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, has attributed the problem to vulnerable new recruits being manipulated by seasoned criminals.
“It’s inexperienced staff being conditioned by very experienced prisoners,” he said.
“The initial training they receive on corruption prevention is not fit for purpose, combined with a low wage and high cost of living.”
Ministry of Justice statistics show misconduct dismissals doubled from 81 in 2014 to 165 by June 2024.
As of March 2024, women comprised over 54 per cent of all staff in the HM Prison and Probation Service.