A serving prison officer has been charged after allegedly performing a sex act on an inmate at HMP Highpoint, a Category C men’s prison in Suffolk.
Rebecca Pinckard, 46, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court accused of “wilfully misconducting” herself while working at the facility in Stradishall.
According to court documents, the alleged incident took place between April 9 and July 6, 2024, during which Pinckard is said to have embarked on a secret relationship with the prisoner and sent him a card.
It is alleged that she “[performed] oral sex on that prisoner while working as a prison officer,” the charge sheet states.
The court heard that the accused was arrested following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), which represents seven police forces in eastern England.
An ERSOU spokesperson confirmed that the force had been “made aware of an alleged inappropriate relationship between a prison officer and inmate at HMP Highpoint” and that a woman was “subsequently arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
Pinckard, dressed smartly for the brief hearing, spoke only to confirm her name, age, and address. She entered no plea.
District Judge Bone told the court the matter was too serious to be handled at the magistrates’ level, saying: “Your offence is one that can only be dealt with in the Crown Court, and my job today is to send the case there.”
He added: “If you don’t attend court without a good reason, you will be committing an offence. If you commit any offence on bail, it will be treated more seriously.”
Pinckard was granted unconditional bail ahead of her next appearance at Cambridge Crown Court on December 3.
The alleged misconduct is said to have taken place while she was on duty at the prison, where she is accused of abusing her position of trust.
HMP Highpoint is a Category C men’s prison built on a former RAF base. It houses more than 1,300 inmates serving medium-length sentences.
Notable former inmates include farmer Tony Martin, who shot dead a burglar at his Norfolk home, the late singer George Michael, and Amy Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
The case has reignited concerns about inappropriate staff-inmate relationships within the prison system, which the Ministry of Justice has pledged to review amid several recent allegations nationwide.
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