Suspended sentence for HMP Peterborough officer who kissed robbery prisoner

A prison officer who had a kissed a prisoner and sent him intimate messages, has been given a suspended sentence

Lyn Yorke, 50, a senior prison officer at HMP Peterborough for 16 years, became friendly with the prisoner and colleagues said in statements the pair appeared to be close.

She had once helped the inmate, who was serving time for robbery, paint an office which resulted them having a paint fight with each other and in August last year, Yorke was caught writing intimate messages to him on his newspaper.

A search of the prisoner’s cell found a quantity of similar intimate messages addressed to him from Yorke and there were also numerous phone calls between the pair.

In interview, she admitted they had kissed on one or two occasions while she was at work but nothing else happened.

However, the man was moved to another prison and Yorke resigned in October last year.

Yesterday (26 July), Yorke, of Denmark Drive, Orton Waterville, Peterborough, received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months at Peterborough Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to the charge of misconduct in public office.

Detective Constable Shelly Reeve said: “Yorke held a position of responsibility and public trust but betrayed all of that with her behaviour at the prison.

“She was a senior prison officer for more than 15 years so she should have known better and has now paid a price for her misconduct.”