Prison officer jailed for relationship with convicted murderer

Rebecca Green, 29, was jailed for one year and four months after entering into a relationship with convicted murderer John Otugade, who is serving a 25-year sentence

A prison officer who embarked on a relationship with a murderer has been imprisoned.

Rebecca Green, 29, was employed at HMP Whitemoor in March when she began a romantic involvement with John Otugade in October 2022. Otugade is currently serving a 25-year term for murder.

During spring 2023, Green was summoned to a meeting after concerns arose regarding her behaviour. Green initially refuted the allegations, but Otugade was relocated to HMP Belmarsh while enquiries were conducted, reports Cambridgeshire Live.

Officers examined Green’s vehicle and confiscated her mobile phone. This device contained messages indicating she was romantically involved with the inmate.

Otugade had also secured a number on his authorised contacts list within the prison under the name ‘partner’. The number was subsequently identified as matching Green’s telephone.

Green, from Market Rasen Way, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, admitted to wilful misconduct in a public office. On June 24, she received a sentence of one year and four months imprisonment at Cambridge Crown Court.

Detective Constable Tom Adams, who led the investigation, commented: “As a prison officer, you have a responsibility to keep prisoners and your colleagues safe.

“This was a serious breach of Green’s responsibilities, and she failed to consider the potential impact on the security and safety of the staff and prisoners and how her actions undermined the work of the prison. This sentence shows how seriously the police and courts take such breaches.”