A “besotted” broody prison officer has, ironically, been jailed for nine months for attempting to smuggle her gangster boyfriend’s sperm from behind bars in a Lancashire jail.
Alison Sharples, 47, was caught with a medicine syringe containing traces of sperm during a routine bag check in October, 2014.
DNA testing of the syringe revealed the semen belonged to either Marvin or Michael Berkeley - twin brothers who were both jailed in 2007 for a multitude of charges ranging from hijacking to kidnapping, reports the Manchester Evening News.
But as only Marvin Berkeley,32, was a prisoner at Sharples place of work, HM Prison Garth, he was the assumed ejaculator. A subsequent search of Sharples’ home uncovered a letter from Marvin.
A “former friend” reportedly told the jury at Preston Crown Court that the semen was slipped under a cell door by Berkeley and was intended to be used “like a turkey baster” to impregnate a “besotted” Sharples who wanted to “have a chocolate baby”.
“It is clear from the evidence that you formed an inappropriate relationship with a serving prisoner,” said presiding Judge Simon Newell at Sharples’ sentencing hearing on Tuesday.
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“In furtherance of that relationship you attempted to fall pregnant with his child, albeit via a rather rudimentary form of artificial insemination,” Judge Newell added.
“Inappropriate relationships between staff and prisoners are very dangerous and can often lead to other criminal activity which puts the public at further risk”.
The former operational support officer was convicted of misconduct in a public office and sentenced to nine months in prison. Berkeley was not charged with any further offences.