Prison officer smuggled phones into jail to have relationship with convicted killer

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A former prison officer who smuggled mobile phones into a convicted murderer’s cell to communicate with him has been jailed. Olivia Hodgson, 26, began a relationship with prisoner Lavarne Forde-Morgan while she was working at HMP Garth in Lancashire in early 2020.

In January 2021, Forde-Morgan was transferred to another prison, and his mobile phone was discovered after they received intelligence which led to a cell search.

Analysis found evidence that he had been in touch with another mobile phone, which was connected to Hodgson.

On 30 July 2021, Hodgson was arrested at HMP Garth, where she had been working since 2017. Her home address was searched, with officers seizing another mobile phone which contained images of the pair, as well as a birthday card addressed to Olivia which contained Forde-Morgan’s fingerprints.

Appearing at Burnley Crown Court, Hodgson, of Hawthorn Road, Preson, was jailed for eight months for misconduct in a public office.

Meanwhile, Forde-Morgan, who is currently serving a sentence for murdering and possessing a shotgun and firearm with intent to endanger life, admitted to possessing prohibited mobile phones and was jailed for an additional 18 months.

Detective Constable Becky Pearson from the North-West Regional Organised Crime Unit’s Prison Anti-Corruption Unit, said:

“Olivia abused her position as a prison officer by choosing to have an inappropriate relationship with an inmate and she will now have to face the consequences of her actions.

"She acted in a calculated manner using a variety of numbers, phones and chat applications to try and evade detection. In doing so, she was able to continue the relationship with Forde-Morgan despite him moving to another prison.

“Olivia knew right from wrong and had received adequate corruption training where she would have gained a good understanding of the criminal outcomes should a relationship be entered into with a prisoner.

"We will continue to take robust action and investigate any offences which we suspect are taking place in our prisons. We want to reassure the honest, dedicated, and hardworking prison staff that we will continue to act against any member of staff who chooses to engage in corrupt activity. We encourage anyone who has information about corruption in our prisons to report it.”