Female prison officer, 25, faces jail after admitting having ‘intimate’ relationship with a prisoner

A female prison officer faces jail after having admitted to having an ‘intimate’ relationship with a prisoner and smuggling designer and women’s clothing to him.

Rachel Martin, 25, pleaded guilty to eight charges of misconduct and a single charge of encouraging the possession of a mobile phone in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday.

Martin, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, admitted having an ’emotional or intimate’ relationship with Raymond Abraham, a prisoner at HMP Guys Marsh.

She also admitted a charge of providing a parcel to Abraham containing ‘high-value designer clothes and food-wear’ as well as ‘female underwear’.

She faces sentencing on December 15 and has been released on unconditional bail until then.

Rachel Martin, 25, pleaded guilty to eight charges of misconduct and a single charge of encouraging the possession of a mobile phone in prison. She is pictured outside Poole Magistrates Court in Dorset last month

Martin, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, admitted having an ’emotional or intimate’ relationship with Raymond Abraham, a prisoner at HMP Guys Marsh (pictured). She also admitted a charge of providing a parcel to Abraham containing ‘high-value designer clothes and food-wear’ as well as ‘female underwear’

Martin had 10 separate charges of wilfully neglecting her duty as a prison officer for several months. 

She pleaded guilty on Thursday to misconduct offences relating to mobile phones illegally his possession, as well as the possession of two other prisoners, James Phillips and Hassan Sufi.

One offence involved her sending a message to another person stating: ‘Don’t forget Ray’s £30 top up’.

Another involved sending Abraham a message advising him to ‘flush’ the mobile phone if his cell was searched.

The defendant also admitted a charge of receiving monetary payment from Abraham.

Martin denied a 10th charge of supplying Abraham with a mobile phone which the prosecution indicated would be allowed to lie on her file.

Judge Jonathan Fuller KC adjourned the case for sentencing and told the defendant: ‘A significant custodial sentence can be expected, that will be up to the judge on the day.’

Claire Mawer, defending, said she would be arranging a psychologist’s report on Martin prior to the sentencing hearing.

Martin (pictured outside Poole Magistrates Court last month) faces sentencing on December 15 and has been released on unconditional bail until then

During her trial, the court heard how Martin entered into a relationship with Abraham between November 1, 2020 and March 8, 2021, creating a ‘conflict of interest and contravening the working practices of the prison’. 

On January 19, 2021, she sent a parcel addressed to him that contained high value designer clothes and footwear.

She supplied him with female underwear that was confiscated from his cell on February 6, 2021.

Between December 29, 2020, and March 8, 2021, she also supplied Abraham with a Zanco mobile phone.

On January 14, 2021, she encouraged a third party to purchase a top up card for the phone through a text saying ‘don’t forget Rays £30 Lyca top up.’

During the months Abraham had a phone she was engaging with him over texts and did not report the fact that he had a phone.

She also provided Abraham with instructions of how to transfer images from a mobile phone to an SD card.

Additionally, she texted Sufi and Phillips.