A prison officer is accused of providing her phone number to an inmate and engaging in a sexual relationship with him. Alicia Novas, 19, and Declan Winkless, 30, appeared in Northampton Magistrates’ Court separately but were jointly charged with misconduct in public office at HMP Five Wells from August to December last year.
The charges allege that Novas violated the public’s trust by sharing her phone number with Winkless, not reporting his possession of a phone and cannabis, and having a sexual relationship with him. They also claim that on November 23, 2024, Novas shared information with Winkless about prison authorities’ suspicions of his wrongdoing. Winkless is accused of encouraging and facilitating these actions.
Both defendants are facing additional charges related to illegal electronic transmissions, bringing cannabis into the prison, and smuggling mobile phones into HMP Five Wells near Wellingborough. Another charge involves an illegal electronic transmission of an image at HMP Peterborough between December 2024 and March this year. Winkless, formerly from South Wigston, Leicestershire, and currently at HMP Swaleside in Kent, faces a separate charge for possessing a mobile phone with a sim card at Five Wells without authorization on December 22 last year.
During the hearings, neither defendant entered a plea, and they were instructed to appear at Northampton Crown Court on December 1. Novas, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, was granted bail under specific conditions, including not contacting Winkless or any HMP prisoner and refraining from visiting any prison without prior approval.