Declan Winkless, a 31-year-old burglar already serving 11 years for aggravated burglary, has had his sentence increased by five years after pleading guilty to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teenage prison guard. The relationship involved filming sex sessions and leaking the footage on Snapchat.
Details of the Offences
Winkless, formerly of Kirkdale Road, South Wigston, pleaded guilty to seven offences in January this year at Northampton Crown Court. These included prison smuggling and misconduct in a public office, for which he was originally sentenced to three years and four months. However, judges at the Court of Appeal ruled this was unduly lenient and quashed the sentence on Tuesday, June 30, replacing it with an increased term of five years' imprisonment.
The former prison officer, Alicia Novas, 20, of Holdenby Drive, Raunds, was sentenced to three years for her role. Her sentence remains unchanged. Novas, who was 18 and had only started her career as a prison officer on July 1, 2024, began the relationship with Winkless in November 2024.
Smuggling and Breach of Trust
Novas smuggled cannabis, tobacco, and two mobile phones into HMP Five Wells and HMP Peterborough for Winkless. She also passed him confidential prison intelligence, including the identity of a prison informant. The offences occurred between August 1, 2024, and March 21, 2025.
Detective Inspector Richard Cornell, from the East Midlands Regional Prisons Intelligence Unit, said: "These sentences reflect the gravity of the multitude of offences committed. Novas had only just begun her career as a prison officer, having taken up her position on July 1, 2024."
Investigation and Continued Contact
The investigation, carried out by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, found that Novas was arrested in December 2024 after a mobile phone was found during a search of Winkless' cell. Despite her bail conditions, contact between the pair continued.
Detective Inspector Cornell added: "Unfortunately Novas used her position to form an inappropriate relationship with Winkless and to breach public trust and confidence further by illegally passing on information and smuggling drugs and mobile phones to him. Winkless undoubtedly encouraged this relationship and the unprofessional and illegal conduct carried out by Novas, and this is reflected in the charges he also faced and the sentence he has now received."
