Two former prison officers have been jailed for engaging in secret relationships with jailed gangster brothers. Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, admitted misconduct in a public office and were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Friday (August 7).
Relationships with Dangerous Inmates
The pair, who were close friends outside work, became involved in parallel illicit relationships with two inmates at HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale. The inmates were brothers Dil Nawaz, 30, and Haq Nawaz, 32, described as kingpins of a major Lancashire organised crime group.
The gang ran a crack cocaine and heroin operation worth between £2.15m and £3.1m. Haq was jailed in September 2023 for 13 years and 10 months, while Dil was locked up for 12 years.
Inappropriate Contact and Corruption
The inappropriate contact ran for months between January and April 2024. Gascoyne's relationship was with Dil, while Walton's was with Haq. The pairs secretly exchanged Valentine's Day cards, and Gascoyne even ordered matching personalised necklaces and bracelets for herself and Dil.
Prosecutors said the corruption went further than flirty messages. Both women knew about the other's relationship and actively supported each other to keep it hidden. Mr Hall said: “It was clear each knew of the other’s inappropriate relationship and they supported each other in the offending.”
Financial Gain and Additional Offence
The officers also benefited financially. Associates linked to the Nawaz brothers transferred money to the women. Gascoyne was additionally caught using a phone to communicate with a third prisoner, Michael Haigh.
The relationships did not reportedly become physical or sexual inside the prison, and there was no evidence either officer smuggled contraband, weapons or illegal drugs into Buckley Hall on the brothers' behalf.
Sentencing and Warning
Both women resigned from the Prison Service after the investigation exposed their conduct. Defence lawyers argued they had shown “genuine remorse” and asked the judge to spare them immediate custody. Nevertheless, the court refused, saying a firm prison sentence was needed as a clear warning to any other officers tempted to cross the line with high-profile inmates.
The judge, Recorder Ben Lawrence, said: “You were well aware you were not to have relationships with prisoners under any circumstances. You have undermined that trust in the most devastating way you could have in that role.”
Gascoyne was jailed for 16 months, while Walton was handed 13 months. Dil and Haq Nawaz both had a year added to their sentences.
