A prison tutor who developed an inappropriate relationship with an inmate and planned to provide him with a mobile phone SIM card has been sentenced to eight months behind bars.
Romantic Letters and a Flushed Discovery
Melissa Murphy, 49, was working as a British Industrial Cleaning Standards (BICS) tutor at HMP Chelmsford in Essex when the relationship began in 2023. The court heard her offending was uncovered in December of that year after a concerned colleague looked through a window and saw Murphy alone with inmate Gavon Smith in an office.
Prosecutor Merrick Williams stated that Murphy, who was engaged to be married at the time, had placed a key in the office door lock to prevent anyone from entering. When she eventually emerged, the colleague reported that Murphy "presented as flustered, with a flushed upper chest" and claimed she was "all over the place".
Erotic Letters and a Plan for Contact
Following the report, police searched Murphy's home address in Chelmsford. Officers discovered a cache of evidence, including erotic letters in which she declared her love for Smith. They also found a Nokia mobile phone and several SIM cards.
A message sent by Murphy to Smith was revealed in court, which read: "When I get shipped out of here, I need to keep in contact with you. I need to be able to talk to you." The prosecution highlighted that a SIM card box was recovered from her property, and there had been discussion of her obtaining a SIM card for the prisoner.
Eroding Public Confidence and Immediate Custody
In mitigation, defence counsel Craig Rush said Murphy's relationship with her fiancé had ended because of the offence and she had lost her good character. He argued the relationship had not progressed to the point of corruption or trafficking within the prison.
However, jailing Murphy at Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Jamie Sawyer said her actions had directly undermined prison stability. He sentenced her to eight months' immediate custody after she admitted one count of wilful misconduct in a public office.
The judge emphasised that the true victim was the public, whose confidence in the prison system is essential. He stated that once a SIM card is inside a prison, its use is beyond control and can facilitate further offending. Judge Sawyer concluded that Murphy's actions had further eroded public confidence, particularly at HMP Chelmsford, and that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
