A married jail librarian whose underpants had been paraded round a jail wing ‘like a trophy’ after a sexual relationship with an inmate has been spared jail.
Mum-of-two Sharon Mawdsley, 47, from Blackpool, shared steamy textual content messages and had intercourse with Steven Morrell within the library workplace at HMP Kirkham.
Their two-week affair got here to an finish after workers member Sarah Fleming heard whispers amongst jail inmates and reported her considerations.
Mawdsley’s underwear was allegedly proven to different inmates at Kirkham jail as over 20 prisoners stood outdoors their cell doorways earlier than lock up, a jury was informed.
A former inmate who witnessed this additionally alleged that Mawdsley sexually him.
Mum-of-two Sharon Mawdsley, 47, (pictured) from Blackpool, shared steamy textual content messages and had intercourse with Steven Morrell
Mawdsley’s underwear was allegedly proven to different inmates at Kirkham jail
He informed a court docket: ‘He [Morrell] took her underwear and when everybody was standing on the doorways one night, he confirmed them like a trophy.
‘There have been over 20 prisoners who noticed it.’
On July 6, 2018, Mawdsley was informed she shouldn’t return to work and Morrell was transferred to a different jail.
After his cell was searched, a secret iPhone was discovered hidden in a laundry bag together with a chunk of paper with Mawdsley’s private cellphone quantity scrawled on it.
Three days later, she admitted giving Morrell her cellphone quantity and fascinating in ‘illegal conversations and textual content messages’.
She knew he had a cellphone however didn’t report it to jail authorities.
Mawdsley pleaded responsible to misconduct in a public workplace in reference to the cellphone contact with Morrell in January 2024.
The 2-week affair got here to an finish after workers member Sarah Fleming heard whispers amongst jail inmates and reported her considerations. Pictured, basic view of HMP Kirkham
Mawdsley is now separated from her husband, who nonetheless wrote a letter to the court docket in assist of his ex-wife
However she solely admitted having intercourse with Morrell whereas being quizzed in opposition to allegations she had molested two different inmates within the library.
Wayne Jackson, prosecuting, stated Mawdsley was employed 10 hours per week at HMP Kirkham.
She had acquired anti-corruption coaching and had been vetted for the position.
Alli Black, the Governor of HMP Kirkham stated: ‘The place an inappropriate relationship develops, the authority of that workers member and different members of workers is diminished.’
She stated workers may very well be exploited into conveying medicine or cell phones into jail if skilled boundaries weren’t upheld.
Anthony Parkinson, defending, stated Mawdsley has ‘an impeccable previous historical past – other than these two weeks of insanity within the Summer season of 2018’.
He additionally added that the defendant had confronted a prolonged delay in addition to public humiliation attributable to media protection.
Mawdsley is now separated from her husband, who nonetheless wrote a letter to the court docket in assist of his ex-wife.
The mum-of-two was cleared of additional prices that she molested two different prisoners following the April trial
Anthony Parkinson, defending, stated Mawdsley has ‘an impeccable previous historical past – other than these two weeks of insanity within the Summer season of 2018’
After the investigation, two different inmates alleged the librarian had molested them within the library.
The mum-of-two was cleared of all additional prices following the April trial.
Throughout that trial, she confessed to having intercourse with Morrell.
She returned to Preston Crown Court docket to face sentence for a single depend of misconduct in a public workplace.
Sentencing, Choose Philip Parry stated: ‘You allowed an inmate to retain and use a bootleg cell phone and also you went on to have an inappropriate bodily relationship which included intercourse on one event throughout the jail property.’
As a result of there had been an inexplicable delay within the case, which might normally entice an instantaneous jail sentence, he sentenced Mawdsley to 9 months suspended for 12 months with 15 days rehabilitation exercise necessities and 200 hours of unpaid work.
