Prison officer jailed for 'cupboard fling' with inmate she 'fell in love with'

A female prison officer from Doncaster has been after she was caught red-handed sneaking into a cupboard with an inmate she was romantically involved with.

Morgan Farr Varney, who worked at HMP Lindholme, initiated a "physical and romantic relationship" with a prisoner. But colleagues grew suspicious, leading to a prison investigation that revealed CCTV footage of Farr Varney entering a cupboard with the inmate and lingering with him on a wing.

A search of the inmate's cell unearthed a stash of love letters, with additional ones found in Farr Varney's bedroom during a search. Farr Varney, who had previously aired her grievances about an online dentistry service on ITV's , was arrested for misconduct in public office in January 2023.

During questioning, she confessed to the that she "proper fell in love" with the inmate and expressed fears over having "f****d" up her life.

After initially being released on bail, Farr Varney resigned from her position, while the inmate was moved to another facility.

Despite the separation, their affair persisted, with police discovering more photos of Farr Varney on the inmate after his transfer to HMP Wealstun.

Following her guilty plea to misconduct in public office at Sheffield Crown Court on April 16 last year, Farr Varney was taken into custody, the

On Friday, she received a 10-month prison sentence. South Yorkshire Police's Detective Constable Scott Jarvis, from the force's Prison Anti-Corruption Unit and lead officer on the case, stated: "We take any reports of improper relationships between prison staff and inmates incredibly seriously and conduct thorough investigations to ensure those who are guilty of these offences are brought to justice."

Jarvis continued: "I hope this sentencing sends out a clear message to any prison officers thinking of committing similar offences that if you engage in this type of criminality, you will be investigated by police and you will be brought to justice."

Meanwhile, recent figures have revealed that a record number of female prison guards have been dismissed for having affairs with male inmates.

In the past three years, 29 female officers were sacked for such misconduct, which is a significant increase from the nine recorded between 2017 and 2019.

In January, a former prison officer caught on camera having sex with an inmate was handed a 15-month jail term. Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was employed at HMP Wandsworth when she entered a prisoner's cell and had sex with him in June 2024.

The incident, recorded by another inmate, subsequently went viral on social media, leading to her arrest by the Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport a few days later as she attempted to escape to Spain.