Rebecca Green, a 29-year-old female prison officer, has been sentenced to one year and four months in prison for engaging in a relationship with a convicted murderer at HMP Whitemoor, a maximum security jail in Cambridgeshire.
Details of the relationship
Green began the relationship with inmate John Otugade in October 2022, according to Cambridgeshire Police. Otugade is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years for murder. Suspicious behavior by Green was reported in spring 2023, prompting an investigation that led to Otugade being transferred to HMP Belmarsh in South East London.
Evidence and guilty plea
Police searched Green's car and seized her mobile phone, which contained messages indicating she was in a relationship with the prisoner. Additionally, Otugade had a phone number added to his approved contacts list under the name "partner," which matched a phone belonging to Green. Green pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing and impact
She was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on June 24 to 16 months in prison. Detective Constable Tom Adams, who investigated the case, stated: "As a prison officer, you have a responsibility to keep prisoners and your colleagues safe. This was a serious breach of Green's responsibilities, and she failed to consider the potential impact on the security and safety of the staff and prisoners and how her actions undermined the work of the prison." He added that the sentence shows how seriously the police and courts take such breaches.
