Prison officer, 26, had sexual relationship with murderer serving life sentence at HMP Swaleside for deliberately running over and killing father-of-three, court hears

A prison officer today admitted having a sexual relationship with an inmate who was serving life for murder in jail.

Kerianne Stephens, 26, of Aylesford, Kent, was employed at HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey when she had the affair with 34-year-old Louis Tate. 

Stephens pleaded guilty to an offence of misconduct in a public office at the category B jail over the affair between September 2018 and January 2019 when she appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.

But she denied a charge of unauthorised transmission of image or sound by electronic communication.

This relates to the alleged sending and receiving of text messages and telephone calls between the pair via an illicitly-held mobile phone.

Judge Philip Statman was told the prosecution did not accept the not guilty plea and Stephens will face a trial.

However, due to the current coronavirus pandemic and an existing backlog of cases, it could not be listed until a two-week period starting August 2 next year.

Stephens, wearing a black dress and tights with her hair tied in a ponytail, sat in the dock just feet away from Tate, who admitted the mobile phone offence.

Prosecutor Maria Karaiskos said it was the Crown's case that calls or texts were made 'over a number of weeks' with Stephens allegedly in the prison car park and 'on many occasions' while off-duty. 

+4

+4

Stephens, pictured outside the court today, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office

Tate, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2010, was said to have had the mobile in his single cell.

Tate appeared in court to answer an allegation that he sent text messages and made calls from inside his single prison cell at HMP Swaleside.He sported a beard and wore a grey jumper and glasses as he stood in the dock and pleaded guilty to the charge of sending unauthorised transmissions from inside jail.

He was moved to another prison after their relationship was revealed.

Tate was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years in 2010 for murdering Mr Frater, 32, by hitting him with a Ford Fiesta in 2009.

+4

Stephens was employed at HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent (file picture)

Mr Frater was crushed under the vehicle after it accelerated back over him and deliberately drove over him again before driving off, the trial heard.

Mr Frater and friends had been followed as they took a minicab home from a club in Watford, Hertfordshire, ten miles away.

Ms Karaiskos said the misconduct charge against Stephens was 'very serious'. Stephens was released on unconditional bail until a further hearing on October 19.

Tate, who is now in custody at category C The Mount Prison in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, is due to be sentenced on October 19 at the same court.