Two prison officers have been jailed for beginning secret relationships with two gangster brothers after the drug dealers were moved to a jail in Rochdale. Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, who worked at HMP Buckley Hall, shared Valentine's cards with Dil Nawaz, 30, and Haq Nawaz, 32. Gascoyne ordered matching necklaces and bracelets for her and Dil Nawaz. The female defendants also received money from associates of the brothers.
Sentencing and Admission
Their relationships did not become sexual and they did not smuggle contraband on their behalf. But the pair were both jailed as a judge warned a message should be sent out to female prison officers who may be tempted to do the same. Gascoyne admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Dil Nawaz between January 20, 2024, and April 4, 2024. While Walton admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Haq Nawaz between January 21, 2024, and March 16, 2024.
Background of the Case
Prosecuting, Philip Hall said that Buckley Hall is a category C jail with more than 450 prisoners, and about 200 staff. Gascoyne had worked there since August 2021, and Walton from January 2023. Mr Hall said the pair were friends and socialised outside of work. After starting their jobs, they both undertook security training which included modules on 'corruption prevention' and on the 'consequences of becoming personally involved with prisoners'. They later completed further training organised by the counter corruption unit. "Elle Walton mentioned the consequences of wrongdoing could involve a prison sentence," Mr Hall said.
The Gang and Investigation
Haq Nawaz and Dil Nawaz both received lengthy jail terms in 2023 for the leading roles they played in a Lancashire drugs gang. Lancashire Police said that the gang was responsible for the distribution of between £2.15m and £3.1m worth of crack cocaine and heroin over a 12 month period. The gang 'controlled an army of drug dealers and runners', the force said. The brothers arrived at Buckley Hall in April 2023. Mr Hall said an investigation was launched into relationships formed between the drug dealers and the two female prison officers after the anti-corruption unit received 'intelligence'.
Evidence of the Relationships
Gascoyne was searched as she entered the prison on March 28, 2024. There was no contraband found, but she was wearing two necklaces, one engraved with the letter D, and one with an Arabic script. Mr Hall said: "Jai Gascoyne could not explain what the Arabic script meant, and she tried to explain 'D' was a reference to her dad." The court was told that the Arabic was an 'Islamic prayer for protection' from the Quran. The probe discovered that Gascoyne had bought two necklaces and two bracelets on Amazon. A similar necklace and a bracelet was discovered in Dil Nawaz's cell later that day. In Gascoyne's car, police found a 'love letter' card addressed to him which was signed off 'I will always love you'. A ring was also found inside a box.
Dil Nawaz was found to be wearing a 'silver bracelet with J on a love heart pendant'. In his cell a necklace 'identical' to the one worn by Gascoyne was found. A 'Valentine's card' addressed to 'D' was found which said 'I love you always'. At around the same time, Haq Nawaz's cell was searched. He was wearing a chain around his neck featuring the letter 'E', and a 'Valentine's card' was also found.
Phone Records and Communication
Phone records were searched. "This revealed Jai Gascoyne and Elle Walton had been using their personal phones to contact illicit mobile phones used by Dil and Haq inside the prison," Mr Hall said. Dil Nawaz and Walton had made 462 contacts via phone or text, and Gascoyne and Dil Nawaz had made 382 contacts. This did not include WhatsApp or Snapchat messages. Dil Nawaz had a prepaid phone which was registered to 'Prepay Street' in 'Faketown'. Dil Nawaz was saved in Gascoyne's phone as 'D x'. They shared 'collage' images of them next to each other. Walton and Gascoyne would sometimes use pseudonyms instead of the Nawaz brother's real names, but would 'slip up' and use their real names. Haq Nawaz was sometimes called 'Nathan' and Dil as 'Daniel'.
Mr Hall said: "It was clear each knew of the other's inappropriate relationship and they supported each other in the offending." Prosecutors said that Gascoyne was 'fully aware' of the brothers' crimes as she had accessed a news article about their case, as well as a search for 'Preston gangster list'.
Further Details
Gascoyne and Dil Nawaz exchanged messages on Snapchat in which they told of 'their love for each other'. They also talked about Facetime and being in a relationship. Dil Nawaz messaged Gascoyne about 'wanting to have sex with her and how she could take him to the chapel or open his door and go in his room'. Walton wished Haq Nawaz a happy birthday on Snapchat. Gascoyne and Walton also spoke with each other on Snapchat about another prisoner, referred to 'Kieran' or 'killer'.
Prosecutors said 'killer' was a nickname for Haq Nawaz's then cellmate, a man named Mohammed Khalil. Gascoyne said she had spoken with the prisoner on the phone for '45 minutes' and said she texted him 'telling him she loves him'. Walton told Gascoyne that 'Dil thinks she's fit', with Gascoyne responding by saying she is 'going to divorce' Kieran. Both women talked with each other 'extensively' about their relationships with the Nawaz brothers, and they referred to each other as 'Mrs N'.
Financial Transactions
Gascoyne provided her bank details to Dil Nawaz. She was sent payments of £80 and £130 from his sister's account. Walton received payments of £500, £100 and £250 from an associate of Haq Nawaz. Both women resigned from their role. Gascoyne also pleaded guilty to having an inappropriate relationship with another prisoner named Michael Haigh, in the early hours of March 28 that year. Haigh had asked Gascoyne to 'give him a cuddle in his cell'. In messages she said: "No yeah we'll have one xxx". She also said: "Yeah we can do, a goodbye cuddle."
Walton made online searches including 'Styal prison cells', 'can an ex prison officer visit a prisoner', 'prison officer accused of inappropriate relationship', and 'is there a way to delete you[r] iMessage of an old phone without having the phone with you'. It was later found that visits had been arranged for both of the women to visit the Nawaz brothers at other prisons.
Judge's Remarks and Sentencing
Mr Hall said that the pair had 'deliberately failed in their duty to protect the integrity of the prison system'. Lawyers for both women appealed for them to be spared a prison sentence. But the judge, Recorder Ben Lawrence, said a deterrent sentence was required to put off others in future from doing the same. "You were well aware you were not to have relationships with prisoners under any circumstances," he told the pair. He said he concluded from Gascoyne's searching of 'Preston gangster list' that she may have found 'their offending in some way impressive and exciting'. He said the pair had breached the trust placed in them as part of their job. "You have undermined that trust in the most devastating way you could have in that role," the judge added.
Prosecutors accepted that the women had not engaged in sexual relationships with the prisoners and had not tried to smuggle any contraband into the jail. Earlier, Michael O'Brien, defending Walton, said she fully accepted responsibility for her actions and was 'deeply remorseful'. She was described as 'kind, caring and hard working' by those who know her and her actions were 'entirely out of character', he said. Nick Cockrell, defending Gascoyne, said her remorse was 'genuine'.
Gaby McGrath, for Dil Nawaz, said that his 'head was all over the place' at the time of the offending after he split up with his long term partner following his jail sentence being imposed. She said there was 'no planning' ahead of the relationship and that it 'came out of nowhere' after they began speaking with each other. "He felt as though it was a place for him to deal with some of his problems," Ms McGrath said. For Haq Nawaz, Mark Stephenson described the defendant and Walton as acting like 'lovesick teenagers'. He said Haq Nawaz, a father of six, was 'struggling to come to terms' with his long sentence and split with his long term partner. He became 'isolated' from his family and 'felt like he had someone to talk to', the barrister said. "He feels extremely bad for Ms Walton and her family," Mr Stephenson said. "He recognises he is a criminal and she comes from a good family."
Gascoyne, of Chapel Street, Dukinfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office. Walton, of Gordon Street, Bacup, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in a public office. Haq Nawaz, previously of Leyland, Lancashire, and Dil Nawaz, previously of Preston, Lancashire, both pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, namely misconduct in public office, and possessing a prohibited item in prison.
Gascoyne was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Walton was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Both will serve up to 40 per cent of the sentence behind bars. The Nawaz brothers both had a year added to their sentences. Dil Nawaz was previously sentenced to 13 years and ten months in prison, while Haq Nawaz was sentenced to 12 years for their parts in a class A drug conspiracy.
