Prison officer jailed for 'highly sexualised' affair with armed robber at HMP Berwyn

Ayshea Gunn became infatuated with Khuram Razaq while he was serving part of a 12-year sentence at HMP Berwyn.

The pair embarked on a “highly sexualised” affair which saw them exchange sex videos of themselves using mobile phones and romp in Razaq’s cell at the Wrexham prison complex.

Gunn took an internet-enabled wrist watch into the prison for Razaq, who sent £1,580 to the prison officer’s bank account.

Ayshea Gunn. Image provided by Merseyside Police

Razaq made calls through a third party so he could breach prison security. The pair exchanged over 1,000 calls in a three-month period.

Jailing Gunn at Mold Crown Court, Judge Niclas Parry accepted she had acted out of character, but he told her: “You put your personal desires first and you have undermined the trust of the public in your profession.

“Infatuated, you exhibited selfishness on a staggering level.

“You knew what you did was a danger to you and your colleagues. You engaged in highly sexualised and pornographic images with the prisoner. There were thousands of calls between you and you remained in contact with him after you had been arrested.

“You knew he was a dangerous man who has twice been given double-figure sentences.”

Khuram Razaq. Image provided by Merseyside Police

The court heard Gunn started at Berwyn as a probationary officer in January 2017 when she received training in security and corruption prevention. She also undertook a 10-week conditioning course which made officers aware of the dangers posed by inmates attempting to draw them into their lives, only to later exploit them.

Razaq arrived on the Ceirog wing of the prison later that year and by the summer of the following year their relationship was said to be “in full swing”.

Prosecutor Simon Mills told Mold Crown Court: “They weren’t being particularly subtle about it. There were reports of her spending lots of time with Razaq and also going into his cell for long periods of time that would have put herself and her colleagues at risk.”

An internal investigation was launched when Razaq’s permitted phone in his cell was found to have had a contact added to it which he was making regular calls to.

When they were logged it was found that Gunn’s voice was at the other end.

Razaq called Gunn to wish her a “Happy Birthday”, but some of the calls involved subterfuge in which they talked about being in a previous relationship to disguise the fact she was a prison officer.

The pair exchanged intimate conversation and explicit sexual talk.

The calls were routed via a landline in Birmingham for redirection by an internet company to the Razaq’s mobile.

“They were both using mobile phones to send each other explicit sexual messages and stream live footage of themselves masturbating and on occasion Razaq was directing Gunn on what to do,” said Mr Mills.

When Razaq’s laundry was seized a pair of woman’s knickers Gunn had smuggled in for him was found.

Pictures seized from Gunn’s Wrexham home showed the pair kissing and cuddling in Razaq’s cell.

Three phone numbers used by Gunn were linked to Razaq and between August and November last year they exchanged 1,213calls.

After Gunn’s arrest they still maintained contact and Razaq called his sister who put through a further 30 calls to the defendant.

Gunn, 27, of Pant Glas, Johnstown, pleaded guilty to wilful misconduct in public office in that she had an inappropriate relationship with an inmate between July 31 between July 31 and November 20 last year.

Defence barrister Peter Hunter said Gunn, a criminal psychology graduate from Liverpool’s John Moores University, had been at a low ebb at the time.

Her long-term relationship with another prison officer ended when he had an affair with a colleague.

“She asked to be put on a different shift pattern so as not to bump into him.

“She was depressed and felt worthless and turned her affections to a prisoner,” said the barrister.

“She is a hard-working woman who has made a mistake. She has not taken phones into prison and there was no financial gain by her.”

Razaq, 29, now an inmate at Buckley Hall Prison in Rochdale, admitted possessing a specified item inside a prison namely a mobile phone between August 27 and November 10 this year.

He also admitted possessing a specified device capable of transmitting or receiving images, sounds or information by electronic means, namely the smart watch, on November 19 this year.

The court was told he had a previous similar conviction for possessing a prohibited item in prison. Judge Parry added eight months to Razaq’s current sentence.