Female prison officer, 23, ‘had sex with convicted robber in prison prayer room’, court hears

A female prison officer had sex with a convicted robber in the prison prayer room, a court heard.

It was claimed that 23-year-old Isabelle Dale was sleeping with Shahid Sharif at HMP Coldingley in Surrey, and two inmates were watching.

It was claimed that the relationship lasted between 1 September 2021 and 31 December 2022 and Sharif, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison, was transferred to HMP Swaleside on Kent’s Isle of Sheppey after their relationship was revealed.

Dale is also accused of having sexual intercourse with another inmate, Connor Money.

A 28-year-old man was sentenced to nine years in prison for killing his best friend in a car crash while fleeing police at 270 kilometers per hour.

Dale, from Portsmouth, started working as a prison officer in September 2021 and is also accused of smuggling drugs into HMP Swaleside.

He appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office over his relationships with Sharif and Money and conspiracy to traffic drugs.

The prison officer was seen entering the Surrey prison’s multi-faith room with the Sheriff on July 19, 2022.

The court heard they remained there for four minutes while the two inmates acted as lookouts.

The room is not covered by CCTV but after leaving he was seen readjusting the belt area on the right side of her hip.

After his arrest, police found a message on his phone in which Sharif complimented his genitals.

‘It was nice to share [sic] today,’ said another message.

The court heard the woman sent flirtatious images to inmates via the “email system” and transferred £100 in exchange for two payments.

Sharif was subsequently transferred to HMP Swaleside, where Dale visited him on three separate occasions between September and October 2022.

CCTV footage shows Dale, in civilian clothes, embracing and kissing her.

Jurors heard the former guard also helped the prisoner smuggle ‘spice-covered’ envelopes into his new prison.

He allegedly operated Sharif’s drug-dealing Snapchat account and was supposed to source the synthetic marijuana from a colleague of Sharif’s named Lilea Sallis, who lives in Brighton.

Police later found drug trafficking paraphernalia in the trunk of her car, as well as an engagement ring that Dale said was purchased for her by Sharif.

Sharif was transferred to HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent after their affair was revealed

The sheriff is not being tried after pleading guilty to conspiring with two women and unidentified others to transport drugs into the prison.

Prosecutor Kieran Brand said: ‘Their close relationship led to Ms Dale agreeing with him to smuggle contraband into the prison, including the illegal drug “spice”.’

Jurors also heard that Dale joined the prison service on September 29, 2021 and was briefed on the standard ‘Anti-Corruption and Reporting Abuse Policy framework’.

After his arrest, police found a pack of carbon paper in his car, which was used to hide contraband from prison x-ray machines.

Investigators also found a ‘framed canvas’ with the couple hanging above the prison officer’s bed in the home.

Mr Brand added: ‘After Miss Dale was arrested and removed from HMP Swaleside, the prison carried out a search of Mr Sheriff’s cell; ‘A number of provocative photographs of Miss Dale were also seized here, as well as a number of love letters.’

Jurors heard phone records obtained from Dale’s seized mobile phone revealed another ‘physical relationship’ with the second prisoner during his time at HMP Coldingley.

Mr Brand said: ‘Ms Dale talks about watching a documentary about prisoners grooming staff at Belmarsh and includes a smiling face emoji.

‘He says ‘Maybe you just want to use me because I’m an officer but I don’t think you are like that xx”

‘There is also evidence on Ms Dale’s phone that shows she was communicating with two other prisoners via illegally held mobile phones.

Dale is also accused of having sexual intercourse with another inmate, Connor Money

‘(He) took numerous photographs while serving inmates and communicating with Mr. Sheriff’s relatives, all while serving as prison officers.’

In one meeting, Sharif told Dale there was a lot of money to be made selling spices in prison, boasting that they could make £16,000 from one envelope.

Mr Brand said Sharif and Dale then discussed ‘going to Brighton, where Ms Sallis lived, to collect spice-soaked envelopes that Ms Dale could give to Mr Sharif to sell in prison’.

Dale denies two charges of misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to transport a banned ‘List A’ article into prison.

Sallis, of East Sussex, denies conspiracy to carry a banned ‘A-List’ article into prison.

The trial, which started on Monday, will last two weeks.