Prison officer Heather Pinchbeck accused of illicit calls with inmate Joseph Hardy, jailed for a machete attack that severed a man’s leg.
A prison officer has been accused of making illicit phone calls with a violent inmate who severed a man’s leg in a horrific machete attack.
Heather Pinchbeck, who worked at HMP Dovegate in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, allegedly shared secret conversations with Joseph Hardy, 31 — a convicted criminal serving a 14-year sentence for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Hardy was jailed in 2017 after brutally attacking an unarmed man with a machete, leaving the victim permanently disabled.
According to court documents, Pinchbeck, believed to be in her 30s, is accused of “transmitting or causing the transmission of an image or sound from a prison without authority” between February 2 and March 4, 2023.
She also faces a second charge of “wilful misconduct in public office” after allegedly communicating with Hardy using an unauthorised device.
The shocking allegations were heard at Birmingham Crown Court, where both Pinchbeck and Hardy are facing criminal proceedings.
Joseph Hardy has been charged with possessing a mobile phone in prison and making illicit communications with a prison officer.
At the time of the alleged offences, Pinchbeck was employed as a Prison Offender Manager at the Category B jail.
Since then, she has reportedly left the prison service and now works at a PR agency, according to her online profile.
The business administration graduate, who is believed to have a young daughter, is described as having “spent her early career working for HM Prison Service as a Prison Offender Manager.”
Case continues
Both defendants are expected to reappear in court as the investigation continues.