Sutton prison officer found guilty of having sex with inmate in Downview prison

Married Russell Thorne, 41, of Sutton, a principal officer at HMP Downview, was found guilty this morning at Guildford Crown Court of misconduct in public office for romping with a female prisoner at the jail.

The father-of-two was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

The court heard the female prisoner had been given preferential treatment for having sex with him in his office.

She had access to vodka, Red Bull, chocolates and her own vanity mirror in his office - out of bounds to other prisoners - where she applied make-up and other cosmetics he gave her from a shopping list she gave him,the court was told.

The court was told he had struck up a three-and-a-half year relationship with the inmate.

He gave her a special role at the prison, which allowed them to spend time alone together.

She told the court during the trial, during their first sexual encounter in his office on a Saturday morning, he “ordered” her to allow him to perform a sex act on her.

She said: “I said no, but he said, it’s an order.”

She told the court she had first got involved with him because he believed she could get preferential treatment, but she had fallen in love with him.

During the trial, Ian Acheson,prosecuting, said events at the prison made it possible to visualise a real-life version of a "Carry On Inside" film, with Sid James playing the role of the prison officer and Barbara Windsor in a short skirt perched on his desk.

He said: "There is temptation to view this as good clean British fun, but set that to one side.”

He said Thorne's actions represented gross misconduct and was exploiting, oppressing and blackmailing a vulnerable woman.

Thorne was found not guilty of another count of misconduct in public office, in which it was alleged to have had sex with another inmate.

His co-defendant, Simon Dykes, 45, has been found not guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office, when he was accused of masturbating outside a prisoner's cell, and sexually touching a prisoner.

The jury is still considering verdicts on a further four counts of misconduct in public office against Mr Dykes.

He is accused of having sex with four different inmates.

The jury will resume considering its verdicts on Monday.

Responding to Thorne's conviction, a Prison Service spokesperson said: "We take the issue of staff corruption and inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously and work closely with the police to identify them, prosecute them and bring them to justice.

"The vast majority of Prison Service staff are honest, hardworking and professional. The Prison Service seeks to create and support a culture which values integrity above all and rejects corruption and dishonesty wherever it is found."

"We take the issue of staff corruption and inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously and work closely with the police to identify them, prosecute them and bring them to justice.

"The vast majority of Prison Service staff are honest, hardworking and professional. The Prison Service seeks to create and support a culture which values integrity above all and rejects corruption and dishonesty wherever it is found."