Prison officer who had sex with inmate said he made her feel ‘like a gangster’

A prison officer jailed for having sex with an inmate in his cell said he made her feel ‘like a gangster’ and wanted to pursue the affair when he was released, a court heard.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was filmed having sex with convicted burglar Linton Weirich by another lag at HMP Wandsworth in south London on June 25 last year.

The married mum-of-one was jailed for 15 months after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office at Isleworth Crown Court.

During her sentencing hearing this week, new details emerged about Abreu’s explanation for why she crossed ‘that clear line’.

Jailing her, Judge Martin Edmunds told Abreu: ‘You participated with evident enthusiasm.

‘The second prisoner recorded events and provided a commentary by way of encouragement including saying “Guys we made history”, “This is how we live at Wandsworth bruv” and “You know you are a gangsta”.

‘Both prosecution and defence asked me to view the footage and that I have done.’

The court heard Abreu was seen by Dr Iain Kooyman, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, who spoke with her to help with the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

In his remarks, Judge Edmunds said: ‘What you said to the author, and repeated as recently as in your letter to me, was that you came to view the prisoner as your protector, a person who made you feel safe, and in that context you provided sexual services.

‘But that is conceding to the very manipulation that your public office required you to resist.

‘A clearer assessment comes in my view, from Dr Kooyman who observed that, although you felt unsupported, you enjoyed the sense of power that came with your position, the prisoners doing as you asked, saying you became grandiose and delusional, your mood high and that you loved working there.

‘You told him that you developed a close attachment to the prisoner to the extent of wanting the relationship to continue after he was released, you say that you loved him, so you never felt so safe in your life and you “felt like a gangster”.

‘You said that you did not believe that consequences existed for you and did not think that you would be caught.’

The judge said Dr Kooyman ‘diagnosed a borderline personality disorder’ which, combined with ADHD, makes Abreu ‘highly impulsive and reckless so that you tend to act without considering the consequences’.

He went on: ‘You have a history of engaging in high-risk behaviour and of using sex as a means to feel positive emotions.

‘His view is that you thrived on the fear and anxiety of the dangerous environment, your control over the prisoners, and the attention you received.

‘He found that you knew full well that you were breaching your duties saying that this merely enhanced your positive mood, and that you were almost intoxicated by engaging in high-risk such that the consequences of your actions were not consciously considered.’

De Sousa Abreu also asked Judge Edmunds to consider two further offences, one being sexual activity with the same prisoner earlier that day and the other being a separate sexual encounter with Weirich within at least three to four days of the main offence.

After seeing the clip had gone viral, the prison officer attempted to fly to Madrid and later Madeira, where she had family, to wait for things to ‘calm down’.

She was arrested at Heathrow Airport after notifying the prison of her travel plans.

Judge Edmunds said: ‘From what I know about you, you were certainly not naive about the media or social media.

‘It must have been obvious that the recording would be shown around and shared, at least amongst prisoners at Wandsworth where it would do the most harm.

‘Whether you intended it or not, the fact is that the video went viral, and caused great harm.

‘Many offenders do not intend the harm that their offending causes, but they nevertheless bear responsibility for it.’

Victim impact statements read out on behalf of members of the Prison Service, including the current governor of Wandsworth, heard how the defendant’s actions had led to female officers at the prison being ‘subject to abuse and harassment from prisoners’ as well as being subjected to sexual approaches and being seen as ‘fair game’.

Some female officers have claimed their children have been subjected to teasing at school over what their mothers may do at work, the court heard.

Judge Edmunds concluded: ‘The consequence of the recording going viral, a result that you did not intend but which was certainly a consequence of your offence, has been that prison officers have faced heckling and harassment.

‘They have been confronted with sexualised images falsely suggesting that your conduct is typical.

‘Children of your fellow female prison officers have been teased as to what their mothers may do at work.

‘It is inevitable that the damage for which you were responsible at Wandsworth has spread, to some degree, through the prison estate.’

A Prison Service spokesperson said: ‘While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we’re catching more of the small minority who break the rules by bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes.

‘As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards we won’t hesitate to take robust action.’

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