An inmate who filmed himself having sex with a new prison officer and leaked the footage on Snapchat will serve an additional five years behind bars after a successful Court of Appeal challenge, the Mirror reported.
Declan Winkless, 31, was originally handed three years and four months on top of his existing 11-year sentence for aggravated burglary in January after admitting to prison smuggling and misconduct. However, the Solicitor General deemed the sentence too lenient, leading to the appeal.
How the Relationship Developed
Former prison guard Alicia Novas, now 20, began working at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, about 115 kilometres north of London, in July 2024 when she was just 18. Winkless had arrived at the prison the previous month. By November 2024, Novas had provided him with her personal phone number, and the relationship became sexual.
The pair used multiple numbers to stay in contact, exchanging messages, calls, and video calls. Prosecutor Matthew Rowcliffe stated there were 2,873 contacts between them during the indictment period from Aug. 1, 2024, to March 21, 2025, according to the BBC.
Arrest and Continued Contact
Novas was arrested on Dec. 23, 2024, and released on bail with conditions not to contact Winkless. She quit her job three days after her release and immediately resumed contact with the prisoner, making about 400 further phone calls. She admitted to bringing cannabis and two mobile phones into the prison and having unauthorized communication, including passing on the name of a prisoner informant.
Authorities branded Novas’ actions a “serious breach” of her responsibilities. Detective Inspector Richard Cornell from the East Midlands Regional Prisons Intelligence Unit said, “Unfortunately, Novas used her position to form an inappropriate relationship with Winkless and to breach public trust and confidence further by illegally passing on information and smuggling drugs and mobile phones to him.”
Sentencing Details
Winkless’s original sentence of three years and four months was increased to five years on top of his 11-year sentence. Novas’ three-year sentence remains unchanged. Cornell added, “Winkless undoubtedly encouraged this relationship and the unprofessional and illegal conduct carried out by Novas, and this is reflected in the charges he also faced and the sentence he has now received.”
