Courtney Harrison, a 27-year-old former administrative worker at HMP Moorland in Doncaster, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for accessing the confidential records of some of Britain's most notorious killers, including Lucy Letby, Rose West, and Harold Shipman. She pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office and causing a computer to perform a function to secure unauthorized access to a program.
Grave breach of trust
Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 7, 2026, that Harrison searched the personal records of these high-profile inmates between 2022 and 2023. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC described her actions as a 'grave breach of trust' and 'comprehensively wrong.' He emphasized that prison officers hold significant responsibility and trust, and breaches must be punished to set an example.
Accessing notorious criminals' files
The records accessed included those of Harold Shipman, Britain's most prolific serial killer; Rose West, a notorious child murderer; Lucy Letby, the nurse convicted of murdering infants; and Damien Bendall, who killed his pregnant girlfriend and two children. Harrison also looked up the records of at least four other prisoners, including a Category A inmate. Judge Richardson noted that while no actual harm resulted from these accesses, the conduct was 'a very serious matter,' comparing it to 'dancing around the edge of a volcano.'
Passing information to a prisoner
The most serious aspect of Harrison's offending involved passing confidential information about inmate George Tunney, a cash machine raider, to a friend. The information ended up on Tunney's phone, and he later absconded from prison before being recaptured. Judge Richardson stated there was no evidence Harrison assisted his escape, but if so, her sentence would have been 'measured in several years.'
Sentencing and mitigation
Harrison sobbed in court as she was sentenced. The judge considered her young age at the time of the offences (23), lack of previous convictions, prospect of rehabilitation, and low risk of reoffending. However, he concluded that an immediate prison sentence was necessary for punishment and deterrence. He said: 'What you did was comprehensively wrong. To access the private criminal and prison records of past and current prisoners. It was a grave breach of trust.'
