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Two female prison workers accused of affairs with same inmate

The two have been allegedly involved with the same inmate at the category B Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales - Athena Picture Agency Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
The two have been allegedly involved with the same inmate at the category B Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales - Athena Picture Agency Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

Two female prison workers have been accused of having affairs with the same inmate, a court has heard.

Elyse Hibbs, a nurse, and Ruth Shmylo, a custody officer, both 25, face misconduct charges over the alleged “inappropriate relationships” while working in jail.

The two have been allegedly involved with the same inmate at the category B Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales. He has not been named in court charges.

Ms Shmylo’s alleged five-month relationship is said to have taken place between December and April last year, before Ms Hibbs’s allegedly followed between May and July.

Ms Hibbs is accused of misconduct while working at two prisons, HMP Parc and HMP Manchester, known as Strangeways, 210 miles away.

The two women will appear together at Cardiff Crown Court next month for a plea and trial preparation hearing following their appearances before Cardiff magistrates earlier this week.

The charge against Ms Hibbs states: “While acting as a public officer, namely prison nurse, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.”

The charge against Ms Shmylo says: “While acting as a public officer, namely a prison custody officer, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.”

Neither has yet entered a plea to the common law charges.

Ms Hibbs, of Newbridge, Gwent, and Ms Shmylo, of Pontypridd, will appear at Cardiff Crown Court on Sep 13.