A court recently heard the unsettling case of a young female prison officer who, in a moment of vulnerability, found herself entangled in a forbidden romance with an inmate. Katie Evans, a 26-year-old mother, was visibly emotional as she stood in the dock and learned her fate. She was sentenced to 21 months behind bars for her involvement in an intimate relationship with prisoner Daniel Brownley at Doncaster Prison in South Yorkshire.
According to Judge Jeremy Richardson KC at Sheffield Crown Court, Evans engaged in over 140 phone calls with Brownley, facilitated financial transactions on his behalf, and shared confidential information about him that the prison had on record. While Evans acknowledged the existence of an “intimate” connection with Brownley, the exact nature of their relationship, particularly whether it was sexual, remained ambiguous.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Evans had boasted to a former colleague about engaging in a sexual act with the inmate and even referred to herself as his “queen” in their conversations. Judge Richardson delivered a poignant message to Evans, expressing his dismay at having to sentence a former prison officer who had been tarnished with the label of corruption. He attributed the situation to Brownley’s manipulation of Evans rather than the other way around, emphasizing that her actions had disrupted the prison’s order and discipline.
Acknowledging Evans’ youth and naivety at the time of the offense in 2020, Judge Richardson noted that she had been easily influenced due to her lack of experience. While recognizing her genuine remorse and low risk to the public, he deemed her actions as warranting punishment. Despite believing that a longer sentence would have been appropriate, he opted for leniency considering the impact it would have on Evans’ relationship with her young daughter and the challenges she would face in prison as a former officer.
Additionally, the judge shed light on the current struggles within the prison system in accommodating short-term inmates. However, he asserted that the severity of Evans’ misconduct warranted immediate imprisonment. Evans, hailing from Hatfield, Doncaster, had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office.
As she tearfully acknowledged her family members in the courtroom, Evans was escorted away. The case shed light on the background of Brownley, who had a criminal history that led to his incarceration for attempted robbery, burglary, and handling stolen goods. Despite his prior release, he found himself back behind bars in 2020 due to a breach of his parole conditions.
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