Isabelle Dale, 23, is accused of engaging in relationships with two serving prisoners while working as a prison officer and conspiring to smuggle drugs into prison
A prison officer engaged in a sex act with an inmate in a prayer room while two other inmates acted as lookouts, a court heard.
Isabelle Dale, 23, is accused of the encounter with convicted robber Shahid Sharif, who was three years into a twelve-year sentence at HMP Coldingley in Surrey. Prosecutors say Dale later conspired with Sharif and others to smuggle envelopes laced with synthetic cannabis, known as “spice”, into HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent after he was transferred.
Dale – who denies the charges against her – appeared today at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of a trial expected to last two weeks.
Dale allegedly ran Sharif’s drug-dealing Snapchat account and was tasked with collecting synthetic cannabis from his associate, Lilea Sallis, in Brighton. Police later found drug-smuggling paraphernalia in Dale’s car, as well as an engagement ring, which she said Sharif had bought for her. Sallis also appeared in court today alongside Dale.
Opening the case, prosecutor Kieran Brand said: “This case concerns allegations of prison corruption and the smuggling into prison of drugs and telephones. At the time this indictment is concerned with, the first defendant, Isabelle Dale was a serving prison officer at HMP Coldingley.
“The prosecution case is that she was in a sexual relationship with a male named Shahid Sharif who was a serving prison inmate, initially at HMP Coldingley while Miss Dale worked there. Their intimate relationship led to Miss Dale agreeing with him to smuggle contraband, including the illegal drug ‘spice’ into the prison.
“The spice was to be supplied by the second defendant, Lilea Sallis, who was an associate of Mr Sharif. It is further alleged that Miss Dale had a sexual relationship with at least one other prisoner.”
Jurors heard that Dale joined the prison service in September 2021 and was made aware of the standard ‘Counter Corruption and Reporting Wrongdoing Policy framework’.
Mr Brand said: “On 19th July 2022, Miss Dale and Mr Sharif were seen to enter the multi-faith room located off a wing within the prison, together. They remained there for four minutes while two inmates appeared to act as lookouts.
“They both emerged from the room together and walked back towards the wing, with Miss Dale appearing to readjust her belt area on the right-hand side of her hip. The multi faith room is not covered by CCTV: the prosecution say it is clear they went in there for some form of sexual activity.”
Investigators found a sexually explicit message from Sharif on Dale’s phone after the alleged encounter, the court heard.
Mr Brand said Dale later visited Shariff on three separate occasions between September and October 2022 in HMP Swaleside. “The CCTV for the social visit held on 27th September 2022 shows Miss Dale in civilian clothing embracing and kissing Mr Sharif,” he said.
Mr Brand said Dale sent Sharif flirty images via the ’email a prisoner system’ and transferred £100 across two payments while working as a prison officer.
Upon Dale’s arrest on November 1, police found in her car a packet of carbon paper used to hide contraband from prison x-ray machines. Investigators also found a “framed canvas” of the couple hanging over Dale’s bed at home.
Mr Brand added: “Once Miss Dale had been arrested and removed from HMP Swaleside, the prison conducted a search of Mr Sharif’s cell, where a quantity of love letters, as well as a number of provocative photographs from Miss Dale were recovered.”
Phone downloads from Dale’s seized handset also revealed a “physical relationship” with a second inmate, Connor Money, at HMP Coldingley, jurors heard.
Mr Brand said: “Miss Dale refers to watching a documentary on Belmarsh about prisoners grooming staff and includes a laughing face emoji. She says ‘you maybe just wanting to use me because I’m an officer but I don’t think your like that xx’.”
He added: “There is also evidence on Miss Dale’s phone showing that she communicated with two further prisoners via illegally held mobile phones. (She) received numerous photos of serving prisoners, as well as communicating with Mr Sharif’s relatives, all whilst employed as a serving prison officer.”
Mr Brand said Sharif guided Dale on how to smuggle the “spice-soaked envelopes” into prison for him to sell. Instructions included careful handling to avoid detection and trips to Brighton to collect the contraband from Sallis.
Dale, of Portsmouth, denies two counts of misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to convey a ‘List A’ prohibited article into prison. Sallis, of East Sussex, denies conspiracy to convey a ‘List A’ prohibited article into prison. The trial continues.