A prison officer at HMP Altcourse stole an inmate’s bank card and used it to spend more than £300.
Gary Humphrey, 51, took Marcin Kowalski’s Halifax card and PIN, which was meant to be posted to the prisoner’s family to support his children.
But the officer was caught on CCTV at the Fazakerley jail and when later using it to withdraw £260 in cash and buy £52 of petrol.
Humphrey – who had worked at the G4S privately run prison for nine years – has since quit his job.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Kowalski’s property was taken from him when he was brought into the prison on February 9 this year.
Mike Stephenson, prosecuting, said the inmate wanted his bank card to be sent to his sister – who was looking after his children – so she could withdraw cash.
He wrote down his PIN number and saw the note and card being put in an envelope, but did not see it being sealed.
Two days later when his sister signed for the envelope, there was no bank card inside.
The court heard that Humphrey used the card that same day to make two cash withdrawals from ATMs and to buy fuel at a petrol station.
He was tracked by his car’s registration number and admitted the offence when he was arrested by police.
Mr Stephenson said: “He said he had given way to impulse. He said he could not explain why he did what he did.”
Humphrey, of Wainfleet Close, Wigan, admitted three counts of theft and a charge of fraud.
The bald defendant, wearing glasses and a suit in the dock, had no previous convictions.
Kyra Badman, defending, said her client understood that he had abused a position of trust and was remorseful.
She said he could not explain why he did it and was not under stress at the time or in any financial difficulty.
Miss Badman told the court: “He said it was a spur of the moment action.”
She added that he was a man of previous good character and was now retraining as a HGV officer.
Judge Thomas Teague, QC, jailed Humphrey for 12 weeks and ordered him to pay £312 in compensation to Kowalski.
The judge said: “I cannot overlook this breach of trust.”
Director for HMP Altcourse, Dave Thompson, said: “There is no place at Altcourse for any member of staff who undermines the good work of their colleagues by acting without integrity or unprofessionally.
“As soon as we became aware of Humphrey’s dishonesty we reported him to Merseyside Police.
“I am grateful to the police and prosecutors for their work leading up to today’s conviction.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/