Former Prison Custody Officer Sentenced for Inappropriate Relationship with Violent Inmate
A former prison officer has been handed a six-month custodial sentence after admitting to sending sexually explicit photographs of herself to a dangerous inmate she was tasked with guarding. Heather Pinchbeck, 28, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office for her illicit communications with prisoner Joseph Hardy, who is serving a 14-year sentence for a horrific machete attack.
Compromising Images and Secret Communications
Birmingham Crown Court heard that Pinchbeck, a single mother from Drakelow, Staffordshire, exchanged raunchy photos, SMS texts, and made secret phone calls with Hardy over a three-week period between February 15 and March 4, 2023. The images included screenshots of the defendant wearing red lingerie with her breasts exposed, which were sent while Hardy was incarcerated at HMP Dovegate, a Category B male prison in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
Prosecutor Antonie Muller revealed that Pinchbeck, who had recently ended a relationship, felt "vulnerable" and enjoyed the attention Hardy lavished upon her. The court was told that Hardy, against prison regulations, possessed two mobile devices at the time and may have shared the compromising images with other inmates.
Judge Condemns "Gross Breach of Position"
Her Honour Judge Sarah Buckingham told Pinchbeck that her "stupidity" could have placed her at "risk of blackmail and exploitation". The judge emphasised that the defendant's actions had "damaged public confidence in the judicial system" and represented a "gross breach of position".
"You let down yourself and your prison colleagues," Judge Buckingham stated during sentencing. "Prison staff have a duty to prisoners to behave in a trustworthy manner. Your offending exposes weaknesses in the prison system."
Career Consequences and Mitigating Factors
Pinchbeck, who had worked as a Prison Custody Officer for ten months before the incident, was challenged about her mobile phone use with a prisoner on February 27, 2023, and was subsequently escorted from the premises. She resigned from her position but was not arrested until January 5, 2024, when two phones were recovered.
Defence lawyer Elizabeth Power argued that her client had "enjoyed some attention" from Hardy after experiencing a "very difficult relationship" and described Pinchbeck as a "devoted mother" living with her parents, brother, and four-year-old daughter. The communication lasted only two to three weeks, and Pinchbeck had no previous breaches in her work ethic.
The court heard that Pinchbeck has since carved out a successful new career as a business management executive for MIH Group, where she is highly regarded despite her employer's awareness of her criminal case. Her defence highlighted her "wealth of knowledge and expertise in administrative practices" gained from her prison service role.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Judge Buckingham acknowledged Pinchbeck's guilty plea, vulnerability following an abusive relationship, and efforts to "turn her life around", but concluded that a custodial sentence was unavoidable. The defendant received 25 percent credit for her plea and will be released halfway through her six-month sentence.
"I have no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence of six months," the judge declared. "It is not a sentence I pass without careful thought and consideration."
Hardy, 31, was convicted in 2017 for a machete assault that resulted in his victim losing a leg and suffering a fractured skull. He is now facing additional charges for illicit communications with a prison officer, to which he is expected to plead guilty.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about inappropriate relationships between prison staff and inmates, with Pinchbeck becoming one of several female prison officers who have lost their positions due to such misconduct.
