A prison governor who began a relationship with a drug gang boss and signed off his temporary release has been jailed for nine years. Kerri Pegg, 42, was found guilty of misconduct in a public office after releasing Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime figure, while she was governor at HMP Kirkham.
Pegg, described as a rising star in the Prison Service, had swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes paid for by 34 kilograms of amphetamines. The court heard she lived beyond her means, buying designer clothes and jewellery despite a £3,000 monthly income and significant debts.
Saunderson, known as “Jesse Pinkman” or “James Gandolfini” to criminal associates, was serving a 10-year sentence for drug offences. Pegg signed off his release on temporary licence in October 2018, though she lacked authority to do so. Within two months of his release in May 2019, Saunderson was involved in another major drug conspiracy, leading to a 35-year sentence in 2022.
Sentencing her at Preston Crown Court, Judge Graham Knowles KC said: “You betrayed the public trust in you and you betrayed the Prison Service. It was shocking and unconscionable that you should have had that relationship.”
Police raided Pegg’s apartment in November 2020, finding the Mercedes and evidence of her relationship with Saunderson. She tearfully claimed she had been “hands-on” and “stupid” but denied wrongdoing. The prosecution argued her debts made her vulnerable to corruption.
