A UK prison officer has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after being filmed engaging in a sexual act with an inmate in his cell at HMP Wandsworth in south London.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was filmed last summer while on duty at the prison, and the footage was widely shared on social media.
The video shows De Sousa Abreu and prisoner Linton Weirich engaging in sexual activity while her radio crackles with messages from the prison.
The recording was made by Weirich’s cellmate, who can be heard commenting during the act, saying, “This is how we roll in Wandsworth.” Someone attempts to enter the cell at one point, and the cellmate tells them, “Give me a minute, one second.”
Weirich, who is 36, was serving time for a £65,000 luxury flat robbery, and it was later revealed that he had a heavily pregnant girlfriend at home.
Meanwhile, De Sousa Abreu, who is married, was arrested at Heathrow Airport while attempting to board a flight to Madrid, having informed the prison of her planned holiday.
In November, De Sousa Abreu pleaded guilty to misconduct in office at Isleworth Crown Court. She was charged with misconduct after it was found that she engaged in a sexual act with a prisoner while on duty, an offence that amounted to a breach of public trust.
The charge stated that she had “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder.”
Senior Crown Prosecutor Tetteh Turkson described the officer’s actions as a “shocking breach of the public’s trust.” He added that De Sousa Abreu was “clearly an enthusiastic participant” who wrongly believed she could avoid responsibility for her misconduct.
As part of her sentence, De Sousa Abreu was entitled to a 95-day reduction after it was revealed that she had been wearing an electronic tag for 190 days while under investigation.
Sentencing her, Judge Martin Edmunds KC said, “You engaged in sexual activity with a prisoner. That compromised your role as an officer and was misconduct which undermines discipline within the prison and puts fellow officers at increased risk.”
He also pointed out that De Sousa Abreu knew her conduct was forbidden, emphasizing the importance of maintaining discipline and trust within the prison system.
De Sousa Abreu’s case serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of breaches of trust within the public office, especially in the context of the prison service, where integrity and professionalism are vital to maintaining order and safety.
