A drug-dealing female prison officer who was in contact with a convicted drug kingpin serving a sentence in her prison has been jailed.

Monika Richards, from Stock Park, Okehampton, was contacted by organised crime gang member Richard Armitage by mobile phone asking her to smuggle illicit items into Exeter Prison.

While she refused, she did not report to the prison authorities that he had a mobile phone in her cell, against the prison rules.

She also sent him text messages and made calls back to him.

Examination of the phone found in his cell later revealed the contact between Richards, a mother of four, and Armitage although the content of the calls was never recovered.

Judge David Evans said the 46-year-old prison officer compromised professional standards through 'naivety and foolishness' despite being four years in the job.

The investigation also revealed that Richards played a significant role in sourcing and supplying diazepam to 'willing customers' including fellow warders - and she was using the drug herself.

The court heard Richards had 'lost her faith in her job and her role' following the outcome of an investigation into a work complaint in 2021.

Barrister Mary Aspinal-Miles, defending, said:"There was no sexual relationship between Richards and Armitage. He asked her to bring items into the jail. She refused."

She said Armitage initiated the contact with her, that there was no financial gain for her and she did not assist him in any way but accepted Richards acted “naively and with a large degree of stupidity”.

The defence lawyer said Armitage - serving a long jail sentence for conspiracy to supply drugs - was 'a significant player in organised crime. Richards “did not necessarily know that” but “her judgement went out of the window'”.

Richards' diazepam use was not an addiction but an emotional crutch in 2021 following personal turmoil and fragility. The prescription drug is commonly known as Valium and is prescribed for anxiety, particularly that linked to alcohol withdrawal.

Richards admitted misconduct in public office between February and April 2022 when she wilfully neglected to report that Armitage possessed a mobile phone in HMP Exeter.

She also admitted being concerned in the supply of Class C drugs to six people at various locations in Devon between October 2020 and December 2021.

Following her arrest in late 2022 she claimed to police she did not know Armitage was in jail but in a later statement to police in July 2023 she admitted some communication with the prisoner.

The jail's head of security said mobile phones in jail were 'prevalent in the system' and risked the safety of staff and inmates, in potentially being used for further criminal activity and intimidate victims of crime.

Judge David Evans jailed Richards for 14 months for the misconduct and nine weeks concurrently for the drugs offences.

He said her offending was far too serious for anything other than immediate custody.

PC Mark Paterson, corruption investigator with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said:"Illicit mobile phones in the hands of criminals allows them the opportunity to continue their criminality both inside the prison and in the community.

"Prison staff neglecting their duty by failing to report the existence of such phones can potentially lead to further serious crimes being committed and leave themselves open to manipulation and blackmail by prisoners."