A 26-year-old prison officer has been sentenced to 12 months behind bars after forming inappropriate relationships with prisoners at Britain’s controversial £253 million “super prison” in Northamptonshire, including exchanging hundreds of intimate messages and breaching strict security protocols.
Aimee Duke, of Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, was jailed at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting two counts of misconduct in a public office. The court heard she had been caught on CCTV entering prisoners’ cells without professional justification and carrying a prohibited bag onto the prison wing at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough.
Judge Adrienne Lucking rejected Duke’s silent pleas for leniency, telling the sobbing former officer: “You were a prison officer and undermined prison discipline. You would have been made well aware what was appropriate and what was inappropriate.”
The investigation began after a contraband mobile phone discovered in the prison’s laundry room revealed that Duke’s name had been searched on Facebook. During a subsequent staff search in August 2022, officers found a piece of paper in her purse containing the prison ID number of inmate Lorenzo Brooks, who court documents revealed was serving 20 years for firearms offences.
When arrested at work on 23 September 2022, Duke’s mobile phone revealed the extent of her misconduct. Analysis showed 248 contacts with Brooks over a two-month period, including text messages where he wrote “I want us to be together 100%” and Duke replied “I can’t wait to see you.”
Prosecuting counsel Miss Pree Brada told the court that Duke had also exchanged photographs with inmates. When one prisoner asked her to “send pictures,” she responded by sending a photograph of “her tan.” Even after Brooks was transferred to another prison, the pair continued messaging, calling each other “babe.”
The court heard Duke had joined the prison service in April 2022, just four months before the misconduct began. After initial training and shadowing other officers, she was assigned to supervise prison visits in June. CCTV footage revealed that on one occasion at 8:30am, Duke entered the wing carrying a pink bag whilst off duty – a clear breach of prison regulations.
“On one day, Duke was seen going on to the wing when she had no reason to do so,” Miss Brada explained. The footage showed Duke entering a single-occupancy cell before later emerging with two inmates, raising serious security concerns.
Records revealed another 254 contacts between Duke and a second prisoner through phone calls and messages. The prosecutor emphasised that Duke knew these communications were “inappropriate” and constituted a “deliberate act” that violated her position of trust.
Defence counsel Liam Muir argued in mitigation that Duke was of previous “good character” and stressed that the relationships were not sexual in nature. However, Judge Lucking was unmoved, stating: “You disregarded the training given to you. CCTV revealed that you had been interacting inappropriately with prisoners.”
Detective Inspector Richard Cornell from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit condemned Duke’s actions: “Prison officers are in positions of authority and unfortunately, Aimee Duke used her position to form inappropriate relationships. Her actions do not reflect the fact that most prison staff are law-abiding citizens who carry out their duties to the highest standards.”
The case has cast fresh scrutiny on HMP Five Wells, which opened in early 2022 as part of the government’s Prison Estate Transformation Programme. The Category C facility, operated by private security firm G4S, houses approximately 1,680 adult male inmates and is the largest prison in the East Midlands.
The prison has faced persistent controversy since opening. In April 2024, government inspectors found that illegal drugs were widely available, with over half of inmates saying it was “easy” to obtain them – compared to an average of 32% in similar category prisons. The facility also recorded 1,256 incidents of self-harm in 12 months.
In January 2023, videos emerged online allegedly showing inmates smoking cannabis and drinking vodka and rum from inconspicuous bottles, prompting further criticism of G4S’s management. The prison has also seen four prisoner deaths in recent months, including 79-year-old Roger Lemon in May 2025.
Duke was originally charged with four counts of misconduct in public office. She admitted two charges at a hearing in May and denied the other two, which were ordered to remain on file.
DI Cornell added: “I hope this sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority that inappropriate behaviour such as in this case will be robustly dealt with using the full force of the law.”
The Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether additional security measures will be implemented at HMP Five Wells following Duke’s conviction. The prison continues to employ approximately 700 staff members as it operates at near-full capacity.
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