Prison officer jailed for groping women

A Suffolk prison officer has been jailed for sexually assaulting four women.

Richie Hoy, 35, groped the women after finding them on their own at Warren Hill Prison at Hollesley near Woodbridge.

The assaults took place over a ten month period during his time at the jail.

He was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Ipswich Crown Court was told that Hoy targeted his victims after his marriage collapsed.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said Hoy, a former soldier, had walked up behind one of the women and slapped her bottom and then grabbed one of her buttocks.

He asked another woman for a hug and then suddenly grabbed one of her buttocks leaving her stunned.

Hoy slid his hand inside a woman’s top and touched her breast under her bra in another assault, the court heard.

She then heard the former squaddie unzipping his trousers but told him to do the zip back up, which he did, said Mr Crimp.

Hoy, of Ipswich, also touched the bottoms of two other women in separate attacks.

Lynne Shirley, defending, he’d been suspended from his job as a prison officer since last year.

She said: “He has lost his good character and will lose his job.”

Miss Shirley said Hoy had served in the army and while in the prison service had stopped a female colleague being seriously injured in an incident at the jail.

She said he’d recently attended a mental health unit because he had suicidal thoughts but was turned away because there weren’t any beds.

Miss Shirley said Hoy had been taking medication for anxiety and depression.

Hoy battled to keep his identity a secret in a bid to prevent his name, address and personal details being reported.

Hoy’s family were concerned about his health and family and any possible threats, the court was told.

But no proof was supplied to back up any concerns or threats and as a result a judge refused Hoy’s anonymity application.