A prison officer caught in a police chase with an escaped prisoner she'd began an affair with has described her experience in jail as like "being on a school trip with my mates."
Chloe Jones had been travelling back from Manchester with Philip King, who escaped from jail whilst serving a sentence for burglary and theft - when they become involved in a pursuit.
King had been serving a sentence at Altcourse prison when Chloe Jones began working at the prison as a custody officer - where the pair began a relationship.
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On July 18, 2017, King was transferred to HMP Sudbury, near Derby - but the pair kept in touch on an illicit mobile phone. Over the next 46 days the couple sent over 3,000 texts to each other, the ECHO reports.
After King escaped from HMP Sudbury, Jones invited him to her family home in Kirkby. She allowed the escaped inmate to stay at her home and use her car while they remained in a relationship.
King, continued to work as a prison officer at HMP Altcourse during this period of time and chose not to tell her employers about her partner. King later drove Jones's Ford Fiesta to the scene of a burglary. The next day King and Jones were involved in a police pursuit.
Last month Jones , talking to podcast 'I Kidd You Not' , spoke about how she became involved with King while working at Altcourse. She said: "We used to see each other around and say hi and whatever. He was walking around with his top on ." Jones told the show that she only began a proper relationship with King after he escaped from prison.
Jones told presenter Joe Kidd she travelling back from Manchester with King in a stolen car when they became involved in police pursuit. She said: "We had been for a night out and gone to see this band. We were on our way back and the ANPR has gone off."
Jones explained how King stopped the stolen car and told her to run. She said: "I left my shoes, my bag, my phone, everything. I was following him, running after him. And then the bizzie just scooped me up and threw me in the bizzie van."
Although Jones was arrested after the police pursuit she was not charged with an offence. Jones was released under investigation and re-arrested in October 2018 and charged. She later admitted misconduct in a public office and was handed a 15 month jail sentence.
She said: "A year later they ( the police) barged in my mum's house with sniffer dogs and all that. I was laughing and my my mum was like 'what are you laughing at.'"
Jones said that the police thought they have found expensive jewellery and watches in the house. She said: "They were like 'yes twenty five grand watch' and I was thinking no mate they are worth seventy quid."
Jones told that her induction to Styal prison in Cheshire was an unusual experience. She said: "They walked me down and I thought I am going to jail so its going to be a wing. But then they took me down to an old fashioned house. I felt like I was on a school trip with my mates."
Jones said that when she was moved to a Drake Hall prison in Staffordshire staff wanted to place her on a special wing for her own protection because she was a former prison officer. She said: "I was like no its fine I got on with all the girls at Styal its fine."
In 2020 David Watson, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court how Jones struck up an inappropriate relationship with the convict after she was in daily contact with him.
Nicola Daley, representing Jones, explained she was genuinely remorseful for her actions, and had only been a prison officer for about six months when she was "blinded by love".
In a letter to the judge Ms Daley explained that her client expressed genuine remorse, in particular for the shame she had brought upon her family.
King was ordered to serve another 36 month prison sentence consecutive to his previous sentence.
After Jones was jailed Detective Inspector Dawn Hampson from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "Chloe Jones abused her position as a prison officer by choosing to have an inappropriate relationship with an inmate and she will now have to face the consequences of her actions. We will continue to take robust action and investigate any offences which we suspect are taking place in our prisons.'
Director of HMP Altcourse Steve Williams said: "We expect the highest standards of conduct from our staff and will not tolerate behaviour that undermines the good work of our colleagues. If we suspect wrongdoing, we will always share intelligence with the police and other agencies. I'd like to thank my team and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit for their exemplary work."
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