Chepstow prison worker jailed for inmate relationship

A prison staff member from Chepstow has been locked up after carrying on a secret relationship with a serving prisoner.

Heidi Bessant, 38, from Wyebank Rise, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday where she admitted misconduct in a public office. The judge handed down a six-month prison sentence.

Bessant worked as a Prison Operational Support Grade at HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire, a category D open prison. Her role involved supporting prison officers in their daily duties.

Between November 2023 and June 2024, she conducted an illicit relationship with an inmate who was serving time for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and blackmail. The relationship included phone calls and text messages – with the prisoner using a mobile phone he wasn’t supposed to have.

When the inmate was granted day release, the pair would meet at hotels and restaurants. Bessant frequently collected him from the prison and brought him back later the same day. She also used his bank card details to deposit money into his prison account, further demonstrating the extent of their inappropriate connection.

The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) led the investigation into Bessant’s conduct.

PC Mark Paterson, Corruption Investigator at SWROCU, said: “Bessant’s role as an OSG meant she had a duty to conduct herself in a responsible, respectable and trustworthy manner. Instead, her conduct amounted to a serious breach of trust. SWROCU will continue to work determinedly with the HMPPS Counter Corruption Unit and the prisons in bringing to justice employees who engage in any form of criminal conduct; it simply will not be tolerated – they will be identified, investigated and prosecuted.”

The HMPPS Counter Corruption Unit works to detect and disrupt wrongdoing within the prison service, supporting facilities across the country with specialist staff who work alongside police to investigate corruption cases, including inappropriate prisoner relationships.