HMP Peterborough prison officer Lyn Yorke kissed inmate and had paint fight with him

A prison officer who kissed an inmate and had a paint fight with him has been sentenced.

Lyn Yorke, 50, had worked as a senior prison officer at HMP Peterborough, also sent the prisoner intimate text messages, and colleagues noticed that the pair appeared close.

In one instance heard by the court, she was helping the convicted robber paint an office which ended in them having a paint fight.

In August last year, Yorke, who had served for 16 years at the prison, was caught writing intimate messages to him on his newspaper.

A search of the prisoner’s cell found several similar intimate messages addressed to him from Yorke and there were also numerous phone calls between the pair.

In interview, she admitted they had kissed on one or two occasions while she was at work but said nothing else happened. 

However, the man was moved to another prison and Yorke resigned in October last year. 

On Tuesday, Yorke, of Orton Waterville in Peterborough was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months at Peterborough Crown Court, having admitted the charge of misconduct in public office.

Det Con Shelly Reeve said: “Yorke held a position of responsibility and public trust but betrayed all of that with her behaviour at the prison.

“She was a senior prison officer for more than 15 years so she should have known better and has now paid a price for her misconduct.”

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