A FEMALE prison officer accused of having a “romantic relationship” with an inmate was cleared today.
Emily Arrand, 45, was accused of misconduct in a public office while working as a prison officer because of an inappropriate relationship with an inmate between November 2022 and January 2023.
Ms Arrand, a mother of three, burst into smiles and tears as the unanimous verdict of not guilty was announced by the jury.
She had been accused of embarking on a two-month relationship with Daniel Hoy after she met him at HMP Humber.
Walking free from Hull Crown Court, she was asked for a comment and replied: “Yes… no… I am not allowed to.”
The court heard that Ms Arrand did not tell her prison service friends that Daniel Hoy, a man she met while he was locked up had been an inmate.
She claimed he was a contractor she met in HMP Humber and described him as her “amazing” new boyfriend, it was said.
She first met him in the latter half of 2020 and insisted any advice she received about prisoner contact applied only to those still in custody, not released prisoners.
Ms Arrand, who now works as a crane operator, gave emotional evidence last week, sometimes breaking down in tears.
Jurors heard police carried out a raid in March and recovered a string of messages of an “affectionate and loving nature”.
Pictures of the couple kissing were found on her phone along with a photo of a dog Hoy bought her for Christmas.
Love letters from Hoy were also found in Arrand’s bedroom addressed to “My Darling Queen”, the court was told.
One read: “You are my Queen with a winning smile that makes me smile every time I see it. We are a team forever. I love you Miss Emily.”
Ms Arrand has a clean record aside from a drink-driving conviction she said she was “mortified” by.
Joining the prison service in 2003, she worked at HMP Humber from 2017, first as a wing officer, later in the gym.
She said she enjoyed the job at first but later felt bullied by colleagues and described the workplace as “really toxic.”
Part of the case against her involved a transfer request from Hoy, which she admitted ended up in her personal binder by mistake.
She insisted she had no intention to influence its handling, saying: “If I had wanted him to stay I would have shredded or binned it.
“I put it in my box and forgot about it.”
Prosecutor Timothy Jacobs said Arrand offered her resignation by email to the governor on December 3, within days of Hoy’s release.
Her resignation was not immediately accepted, and she worked a few shifts at HMP New Hall before leaving on January 5.
Ms Arrand admitted she saw Hoy socially afterward and that their relationship began to turn romantic, with him giving her a Valentine’s card and love letters.
She denied any wrongdoing, insisting she had not planned the relationship and that she had acted responsibly.
She introduced Hoy to friends without revealing his past as an inmate, saying: “I wanted them to see him without judgement. I am massively ashamed.”
After a three-day trial, Ms Arrand of Thorne, near Doncaster, was cleared of all charges.
