Pictured: A prison guard, 25, holds her middle finger to the photographer as she appears in court accused of having an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with an inmate – who also had an affair with a prison nurse jail
- Detention officer Ruth Shmylo, 25, denies having an affair with inmate Harri Pullen
- Health worker Elyse Hibbs was jailed in October for ‘flirty phone calls’
- Shmylo now faces trial for misconduct in public office
A prison guard accused of having an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with an inmate raised her middle finger as she appeared in court today.
Guard officer Ruth Shmylo, 25, made the gesture as she walked into Cardiff Crown Court today, after denying any wrongdoing in public service over the alleged affair.
The court heard she was one of two staff members who allegedly had a relationship with inmate Harri Pullen, 25, while he was locked up at HMP Parc Category B prison in Bridgend.
Health worker Elyse Hibbs was jailed for six months in October after admitting to having flirty phone calls with “manipulative” Pullen while serving his sentence.
Guard officer Ruth Shmylo, 25, made the gesture as she walked into Cardiff Crown Court today, after being charged with misconduct in public service over the alleged relationship
Harri Pullen, 25, is accused of having had affairs with health worker Elyse Hibbs and caretaker Ruth Shmylo,
Pullen’s identity was revealed during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court today, where Shmylo will stand trial in September.
The prisoner was jailed for five years in 2019 for his role in a drug gang flooding the streets of South Wales with cocaine and heroin.
He spent time at HMP Parc before being moved to HMP Manchester, allegedly due to suspicions over his dealings with staff.
However, he was sentenced to a further four years and nine months in prison after a phone was found hidden in his rectum as he was transferred from HMP Manchester to Swansea Prison for release.
The court heard that Pullen came into contact with Hibbs and Shmylo while serving at HMP Parc.
Shmylo, from Treforest, Pontypridd, was released on bail today ahead of a trial in September
Shmylo (pictured) faces a public service misconduct trial over an alleged relationship with the prisoner
Shmylo will now stand trial for an alleged affair with the prisoner while she was employed as a guard at the 1,652-bed prison.
Claire Wilks, defending Shmylo, said the alleged evidence the prosecution relied on was not relevant to her case.
The charge against her states: “While acting as a public officer, namely a custody officer, you willfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a manner which amounted to a abuse of public trust in the incumbent by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.
Prosecutors have been ordered to serve transcripts of alleged phone calls between the two men ahead of a trial scheduled for September.
Shmylo, from Treforest, Pontypridd, was released on unconditional bail.
Shmylo will now stand trial for an alleged affair with the same prisoner while employed as a guard
Both relationships allegedly took place while Pullen was a prisoner at HMP Parc in South Wales
Pullen met health worker Hibbs while giving him medical treatment in the prison, before reaching out to her on Instagram.
Hibbs left her post at HMP Parc in July 2021, but was arrested a week later and admitted to exchanging messages with the prisoner.
Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, previously said: ‘She explained that she and the inmate never had a sexual relationship of any kind.
Adam Sharp, defending Hibbs, said in mitigation during her sentencing that the prisoner was known in the system to be a “particularly manipulative individual”.
Hibbs (pictured) was jailed for six months in October after admitting to having flirtatious phone calls with ‘manipulator’ Pullen
