A young prison officer broke down in tears at a UK court today after a judge warned her she faces a 'substantial' custodial sentence for a shocking catalogue of misconduct, including sexual relationships with two inmates and smuggling drugs into jail.
A Brazen Affair in the Prayer Room
Isabelle Dale, who is 23, was found guilty of brazenly conducting an affair with convicted robber Shahid Sharif, 33, while they were both at HMP Coldingley in Surrey. The court heard how Dale, who was aged 19 or 20 at the time, would post other inmates as lookouts before having sex with Sharif in the prison's multi-faith prayer room, a location they specifically chose because it was not covered by CCTV.
Their illicit encounters were witnessed, with the pair seen entering the room together and leaving after approximately four minutes, during which time Dale was observed 'appearing to readjust her belt'. The depth of her infatuation was made clear by the fact she had Sharif's nickname, 'Sneaks', tattooed on the back of her own neck. She even referred to herself as 'Miss Sneaky' and displayed a framed picture of them above her bed.
Following one of their encounters, Sharif sent her a graphic text message stating, 'It was good sharing dat love today ur p**** [is] ammaazzzeeeingggggg.'
Smuggling Spice and a Second Relationship
Even after Sharif was transferred to another prison, Dale maintained contact through phone calls and the 'email a prisoner' system. She sent him money and paid him social visits, where CCTV footage captured them kissing and hugging. In a further twist, the court heard that Dale bought herself a £3,000 engagement ring for Sharif to present to her upon his release.
The misconduct escalated into criminal conspiracy when Dale began smuggling the synthetic cannabis known as Spice into the prison for Sharif. He had convinced her there was 'big bread' to be made, boasting he could earn around £1,600 per envelope.
Dale was taught by Sharif to soak love letters in a liquid form of the drug, using a special paper designed to conceal the substance from prison x-ray machines. In these letters, she wrote, 'I literally worship the ground you walk on... I will do anything I can to help you and that’s because the love runs deep.' She used Sharif's drug-dealing Snapchat account to source the Spice from an associate, Lilea Sallis, 27, making collections in Brighton.
Simultaneously, Dale was discovered to be in a separate sexual relationship with Connor Money, 28, who was serving a nine-year sentence for killing his best friend in a high-speed police chase. Their relationship was uncovered when police examined her phone, finding explicit text exchanges.
Denials and Conviction
During the trial, Dale denied having sex with either inmate, admitting only to 'phone sex' with Sharif. She claimed her relationship with Money was a ruse to appease him after he threatened her. Dale also told jurors she felt ostracised by colleagues who mocked her tattoos and gravitated towards the affection of inmates.
She revealed she had undergone bum-enhancing surgery on Sharif's instructions after he regularly degraded her about her body, a procedure that led to septic abscesses after it was botched.
Despite her testimony, the jury convicted Dale on two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of conspiracy to convey a 'List A' prohibited article into prison. Lilea Sallis was also convicted on the same smuggling charge.
Both women were granted unconditional bail ahead of sentencing. The judge concluded the hearing by stating, 'You have been convicted of very grave offences indeed. I can see no alternative to a substantial custodial sentence.'
