By Editor,Robert Folker

Copyright dailymail

A 23-year-old prison officer who admitted to having an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a convicted drug dealer has avoided jail.

Megan Breen, from Newport, Gwent, began the fling while working as an officer at category C jail HMP Usk and the nearby open prison HMP Prescoed, both in Gwent, South Wales.

She had sex with the prisoner in a hotel room after travelling 175 miles to meet him when he was on home release.

Breen even met the inmate’s family on the trip and exchanged hundreds of messages with him while he was behind bars.

A court heard the prisoner was at the category D HMP Prescoed when their romance began, when Breen worked as a member of operational support staff.

She initially denied the fling with the unnamed prisoner but later admitted to having the illicit affair behind bars between February and May 2022.

Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said Breen was arrested after she confessed the fling to colleague William Morgan whilst pulling up a picture of a male prisoner on a computer screen.

He said: ‘She told Mr Morgan of a recent trip to Liverpool for her birthday with two other colleagues and whilst there she had slept with a man.

‘She told him that the man was a prisoner at Prescoed and she used to speak to him while on night duties.

‘He asked “which prisoner” the defendant at this point pointed to the screen showing the photograph of the male prisoner.

‘Mr Morgan’s reaction was one of disbelief and that she must have been joking.

‘But she confirmed that had met him whilst he was on home leave and they had met up for drinks and went back to her hotel together.

‘She discussed she had met his family and that they liked her and she liked them.

‘She informed Mr Morgan that a few other prisoners knew of the relationship but they wouldn’t say anything and the two colleagues she travelled to Liverpool also knew of the relationship.’

When Mr Morgan challenged her as to the possible consequences, Breen replied: ‘Yeah about five years but no one is going to say anything.’

But Mr Morgan informed prison bosses of her confession and during a search of the inmate’s cell a handwritten note with Breen’s mobile number and Snapchat handle were found.

The court heard number plate recognition data showed she made a series of trips to Liverpool after the inmate was freed on licence.

The inmate was coming to the end of his sentence for supplying Class A drugs and freed during the days to work at a nearby poultry farm and had been issued with a mobile phone.

Mr Stanway said phone analysis from his prison-issued device showed they had contacted each other 558 times.

He said: ‘Messages on the phone corroborated that she had made arrangements to meet him on that trip to Liverpool.

‘They clearly demonstrated a close personal romantic relationship between the defendant and the male prisoner.

‘They said they loved each other and using other similar terms of affection and heart emojis from the defendant to the male prisoner.’

Cardiff Crown Court heard Breen argued with the unnamed inmate after accessing his phone and seeing he had been Facetiming other women.

Mr Stanway said: ‘That caused a rift between them and they stopped speaking.’

Scott Bowen, defending, said single mother Breen had a young child and was expecting a second, having only discovered she was pregnant again the day before the sentencing.

He said Breen was only 19 and 20 at the time of the offending and had ‘buried her head in the sand’ over the possible punishment.

Judge, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: ‘You knew what you were doing was wrong and you were aware of the consequence.’

But the judge said due to the ‘exceptional circumstances’ of the children relying on Breen the sentence could be suspended.

‘It is clear immediate custody would result in significant harmful impact on others.’

Breen was handed a 10 month suspended sentence, 15 days rehabilitation requirement and ordered to pay £500 costs at £50 per month.

She had previously appeared in court in January to deny the affair, but her barrister asked for the charge to be put again and she admitted misconduct in a public office.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that a second allegation of illegally accessing a computer would not be proceeded with.

Category C prison Usk houses 280 inmates and is managed jointly with open prison HMP Prescoed, which is three miles away and houses offenders serving the final term of their sentences before being released.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 19 members of prison staff were charged with misconduct in public office between 2023 and 2024.

This is the highest number of lock-up liaisons in the past 10 years.