A 46-year-old female prison officer has been sent to jail after her own body-worn camera captured her engaging in a sexual act with an inmate inside a UK prison.
Body Camera Footage Reveals Shocking Misconduct
The incident took place at HMP Highpoint in Stradishall, Suffolk. The officer, Rebecca Pinckard from Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office. The court heard that the discovery was made in July 2024 when footage from her issued device was reviewed by another officer during routine duties.
The footage showed Pinckard together with 42-year-old prisoner Erion Nakdi inside a store cupboard at the prison. Cambridge Crown Court was informed that the inappropriate contact occurred between April 9 and July 6, 2024.
A Pattern of Inappropriate Behaviour
The court learned that this was not an isolated incident. Pinckard had previously been cautioned for being "overfamiliar" with inmates and for giving them "cakes and sweets". Further evidence revealed she had sent a Moonpig greeting card to inmate Nakdi to "cheer him up" during personal issues.
Additionally, she failed to report explicit social media videos that Nakdi had allegedly sent from his cell using a mobile phone. Judge Cartin noted that the offence "wasn't a one-off – it went on for a number of months and the card was sent".
Sentencing and Consequences
On Friday, January 16, 2026, Pinckard was sentenced to 32 weeks in custody. Judge Cartin stated she was caught because of a "clumsy mistake" during evidence gathering and that her behaviour "diminishes the public confidence in the criminal justice system".
Pinckard's defence argued it was a "moment of madness" during a difficult period following the end of a long-term relationship, and denied it was a sustained relationship.
The inmate involved, Erion Nakdi, admitted to possession of a mobile phone in prison. He was sentenced to an additional 10 months on top of his existing term. Nakdi was originally jailed for more than 16 years in 2022 for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
HMP Highpoint is one of England's largest Category C prisons, housing around 1,300 inmates. It has held several notable former inmates including farmer Tony Martin and Blake Fielder-Civil, the ex-partner of singers Amy Winehouse and George Michael.
