A glamorous prison officer is alleged to have held a series of illicit phone calls with a violent inmate she was meant to be guarding, The Daily Mail has learned.
Heather Pinchbeck has been charged over the allegedly provocative chats and could now end up in prison herself if convicted.
Pinchbeck, 28, has been charged with making illegal mobile communication with a prisoner who she met while on duty.
If convicted she would become the latest of a number of female prison officers whose careers have come off the rails after they shared messages with offenders.
The inmate Pinchbeck is accused of sharing secret calls with is believed to be Joseph Hardy, 31, who had been jailed for an horrific machete assault in which the victim lost a leg and suffered a fractured skull.
Blonde Pinchbeck, who has previously posted a number of alluring selfies on social media, left the Prison Service while the case against her was being investigated and now works as a business management executive.
She cites her previous role within the Prison Service as having given her a ‘wealth of knowledge and expertise in administrative practices’ – but doesn’t mention leaving under a cloud.
And Pinchbeck from Drakelow, near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, has been praised by her new employer for being ‘always eager to take on new challenges and drive success.’
It is not known whether her new employer is aware of the criminal proceedings against her.
Heather Pinchbeck has been charged over the allegedly provocative chats and could now end up in prison herself if convicted
Pinchbeck is accused of sharing secret calls with inmate Joseph Hardy, 31, who was jailed for an horrific machete assault in which the victim lost a leg and suffered a fractured skull
The charge of illegal transmission of an image and/or a phone call or voice recordings is understood to relate to her time working at HMP Dovegate in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
The full charge states she ‘wilfully, and without reasonable excuse or justification, misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust by communicating with a prisoner using an illicit device.’
Pinchbeck was working at the Category B male jail at the time of the alleged offences committed between February and March two years ago.
The former custody officer made her first appearance at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this month but has yet to enter a plea to the charge against her.
It is believed her communication was with an inmate – said to be Hardy, who has been charged and convicted of illicit communications and possessing a phone in prison.
Hardy, who indicated a guilty plea to both charges, was handed two concurrent eight-month sentences on September 22.
He is already in prison serving a 14-year sentence after severing a defenceless man’s left leg in an attack in broad daylight.
Manchester Crown Court heard during his trial in 2017 that Hardy had been involved in a dispute with the victim when he retrieved the machete from his car, unsheathed it and then used it as a weapon.
The leg was all but severed at the scene and doctors amputated it above the knee six days later.
An MRI scan also revealed the man had suffered a fractured skull.
Pinchbeck, who is believed to have a young daughter, is now working for MIH Group.
In online postings they laud the business administration diploma graduate who ‘spent her early career working for HM Prison Service as a Prison Offender Manager.
They state: ‘Her role encompassed managing caseloads, creating sentencing plans and managing prolific offenders, the single point of contact for Staffordshire Police.’
Pinchbeck, who is believed to have a young daughter, is now working for MIH Group
In praise of Pinchbeck, the post continues: ‘She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in administrative practices to MIH, where her responsibilities include ISO compliance, governance, office management and client support.
‘Heather is passionate about applying her skills to business development, always eager to take on new challenges and drive success.’
The Daily Mail has attempted to approach her for comment.
