A prison probation officer who posed a "significant risk to prison security" by failing to mention her relationship with a prisoner when she got the job has been sentenced.

Leonie Wilkinson, 27, did not disclose any conflicts of interest when she applied for the role at HMP Preston or during her vetting period, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) said.

Her relationship with prisoner Gary Hampson, which began in 2018, was uncovered after a mobile phone found in his cell showed the pair had called, emailed and messaged each other.

Wilkinson, who pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Det Insp Brian Morley, of NWROCU, said: "Wilkinson's actions represented a serious breach of trust and undermined the integrity of the criminal justice system."

Wilkinson was also sentenced for offences including unauthorised access to a computer and encouraging the possession of a mobile device.

Hampson, 26, was handed six months' imprisonment to run consecutively with his existing sentence after admitting encouraging misconduct in a public office and possessing an unauthorised mobile phone in prison.

Smuggling contraband

The sentencing followed an investigation into her misconduct while employed at HMP Preston, which she started working at in 2020.

Her vetting for the role was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, by which time Wilkinson, of Preston, had already completed her training and failed to declare any conflicts of interest.

But in April 2021, Wilkinson told her line manager she knew prisoner Gary Hampson and one of his relatives, citing a family connection, the NWROCU said.

She claimed to have submitted a conflict of interest report but records show she only declared a connection to another prisoner and no formal disclosure was made regarding Hampson and his relative.

A month later, reports surfaced alleging a corrupt probation officer was smuggling contraband into HMP Preston.

A subsequent investigation revealed Wilkinson was in a relationship with Hampson, a continuation of a prior relationship and had visited him in prison in January 2018.

She had also been listed as a friend of two other inmates.

A mobile phone seized from Hampson's cell showed messages between Wilkinson and Hampson, while a card sent online by the officer to the prisoner was also found. (BBC)