Female prison officer ‘had phone sex with gangster inmate’ | UK News

A female prison officer is accused of having a relationship with an inmate months before she was sacked.

Ruth Shmylo, 26, is alleged to have started the relationship with Harri Pullen, 24, a drug dealer and member of an organised crime group, while she worked at HMP Parc in Bridgend, Wales, between January and April 2021.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how she is accused of having phone sex with Pullen, blowing a kiss to an unnamed inmate, and for a relationship with another unnamed prisoner.

The affair started after Pullen passed his number to Shmylo on a slip of paper and the pair would phone each other daily.

When Pullen was moved away from HMP Parc to HMP Manchester, he put her on his visitor and phone list to continue the romance after she was dismissed in April 2021.

She had already been sacked because of ‘concerns’ over her flirtatious attitude and relationship with another unnamed inmate.

Mr Hayman said Pullen’s behaviour started to ‘spiral’ when Shmylo was dismissed from the prison.

There were concerns about Shmylo’s uniform which were ‘skin-tight trousers’ instead of prison-issue uniform.

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said there were 20 ‘intelligence reports’ between January and April 2021 concerning her inappropriate uniform.

Head of security at the prison Dan Hayman told the court: ‘The concern was Miss Shmylo was wearing trousers that she had purchased outside of the uniform supply process which were exceptionally fitted and not considered appropriate.

He added there was concern around the fact the trousers were ‘skin-tight’ or near enough ‘skin-tight’.

Mr Hayman added: ‘There is a large cohort of male prisoners and a young female officer or any officer wearing inappropriate clothing is something that we would challenge – especially trousers that are that fitted and leave very little to the imagination.

‘There were other trousers available but she was not happy with how they fell on her body – or how they looked.’

Talking about why she was dismissed, Mr Hayman continued: ‘There were reports over conversations she was having with prisoners. She was observed to be secretive, whispering, intentionally trying to have conversations out of earshot.’

Shmylo said she was ’embarrassed’ of blowing a kiss and said it was a ‘silly mistake’.

Mr Cobbe said there were concerns over her use of social media after she sought out the unnamed prisoner on Facebook with a ‘second phone’ he was feared to have inside.

Mr Hayman said: ‘Miss Shmylo told us that the only connection was via social media because that person was a friend of a friend but she acknowledged that she had searched for him on Facebook.’

Claire Wicks, defending, said Shmylo was at obvious risk of being manipulated by Pullen.

She said Pullen had ‘illicit phones’ and was ‘at one stage thought to be in possession of an improvised gun’ in prison.

Shmylo denies misconduct in public office and the trial continues.

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