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Ex-Prison Officer Jailed for Illicit Contact With Murderer at HMP Deerbolt

The case underscores vulnerabilities from contraband phones within a system that gives junior officers minimal anti-corruption training.

Overview

  • Durham Crown Court jailed Ellis Eyles, 24, for eight months for misconduct in public office after illicit contact with inmate Mitchell Ingham.
  • Prosecutors said she exchanged messages and FaceTime calls with him between March and August 2023, including a 37-minute call and a “miss you xxx” text.
  • The judge identified her disclosure of another prisoner's location after Ingham threatened to “do him in” as the most disturbing element.
  • The conduct was uncovered when a routine search found a concealed iPhone and charger; Eyles was arrested, provided her phone PIN, and later resigned.
  • Ingham, serving life for a 2015 murder, received an additional nine-month sentence last month for possessing and using the phone, to be served consecutively.