Linda De Sousa Abreu, a former prison officer at HMP Wandsworth in London, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for misconduct in public office after being caught on video having sex with an inmate, Linton Weirich. The footage, filmed by another inmate and widely shared online, showed the incident taking place in a cell. The person recording remarked, “This is how we roll in Wandsworth.”
Following the video’s release, Abreu attempted to flee to Madrid and Madeira, notifying the prison of her plans, but was arrested at Heathrow Airport. She later admitted to two additional sexual encounters with the same prisoner, including one the same day as the viral incident. Despite initially claiming she acted under duress, the court determined her actions involved premeditation and planning, including arranging for another prisoner to act as a lookout.
Judge Martin Edmunds KC highlighted the severe consequences of her actions, stating, “You undermined the discipline within the prison and put fellow officers at increased risk.” He emphasized the harm caused by the video’s viral spread, which led to harassment of prison staff and damaged the reputation of female officers.
HMP Wandsworth governor Andrew Davy noted the setback in building respect for female staff in a male-dominated environment, saying her actions “undid years of progress in a single day.” A Prison Service spokesperson reaffirmed their commitment to strict standards and counter-corruption efforts.
