Female prison officer, 44, who wrote sexually explicit poetry for inmate during illicit relationship is jailed
A prison officer who wrote obscene poems for a sex offender has been sentenced to six months in prison.
Livvy Edney, 44, became involved with prisoner Paul Young while working at HMP Channings Wood in Devon.
Edney was hired at the prison in 2020 and became romantically involved with Young in November 2022 after becoming his supervisor.
The prison became suspicious of the pair and Young, who was serving a prison sentence for public protection after being convicted of assault by influence, was transferred to another prison in January 2023.
Despite this, the couple’s relationship continued. Edney used two pay phones, registered a fake name and gave the address of a relative of Young’s to prison officials so she could stay in touch with him after he moved out.
Phone calls in which they declared their love for each other were recorded by prison officials, Exeter Crown Court heard.
During the meetings, Young also read the poem he had written for Edney, and they planned a trip to Venice after his release.
When Young’s mobile phone was searched, a card with two pictures of penguins and a “sexually explicit” message was found. It read: ‘Happy Valentine’s day my love, the first of many.
Livvy Edney became involved with prisoner Paul Young while working at HMP Channings Wood in Devon. Edney was hired at the prison in 2020 and became romantically involved with Young in November 2022, after becoming his supervisor.
‘Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ll make you scream when I put my thong inside you. Love from your loved ones.’
Edney, a mother of three, was arrested at her home in March 2023. During his police statements he denied having any relationship with Young or having any knowledge of the two mobile phones found at their address.
A Valentine’s Day card, as well as letters and notes, were found in Young’s cell.
Young was previously romantically involved with a separate officer.
Edney, of Grenville Avenue, Torquay, previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.
In sentencing Edney to six months in prison, Judge James Patrick said he was fully aware of the ‘importance of maintaining boundaries in relation to prisoners’.
He added: ‘Paul Young was someone who had a relationship with another police officer in the past and that was something that interested you.
‘From that time on you and him developed an increasingly close relationship.’
Judge Patrick said Young’s transfer ‘should have served as a warning’ to Edney and said he had used ‘subterfuge’ to maintain their relationship.
He continued: ‘You did this by pretending to be someone else and using secret phone numbers.
‘In these calls you declared your love for each other, you read poems, you discussed dating, you discussed meeting, there were many references to sexual behavior.’
The judge accepted that Edney had ‘terminated the contact’ but added: ‘You terminated the contact, firstly, knowing that he had been transferred, and secondly, being very skeptical about what the authorities knew about you.’
Lee Brembridge, defending, urged the court to impose a suspended sentence on the grounds that Edney had remarried, had a full-time job and was unlikely to reoffend.
Mr Bembridge said that although Edney was not ‘the youngest prison officer’, he was ‘inexperienced’ in the job and had ‘his own weaknesses’.
She added: ‘Her vulnerabilities, which began in her childhood and continued throughout her 20-year relationship with her ex-husband, are very personal for her.
‘Miss Edney has lived a lifetime with anxiety, depression and everything that comes with a traumatic childhood that culminated in an abusive marriage for 20 years.
‘His life, in fact both his family life and his personal life, are now more stable than ever.’
Despite this, Judge Patrick concluded: ‘I accept that there is no evidence of any physical relationship.
‘But it is clear that your relationship, although not physical, was a highly sexual one.
‘In my judgment, and with great regret, I conclude that I must send you into custody immediately.’
Detective Sergeant Will Martel, of the South West Regional Organized Crime Unit, said: ‘Edney went to significant lengths to conceal the relationship, knowing that this was a serious breach of his position.
‘Corruption will not be allowed in our prisons.
‘Working closely with the Prison Service, prison staff and our wider policing partners, we will continue to root out such abuse.’
