Officer denies sex in laundry room with prisoner

A PRISONER officer has denied having a sexual relationship with an inmate at a West Yorkshire women’s jail.

Iain Cocks also rejected claims that he had sexually assaulted another inmate in her cell at HMP New Hall, near Wakefield.

Cocks did accept that he had met up with a third woman and had sex with her at his marital home after she was released on licence from the jail. The 51-yearold is on trial at Leeds Crown Court where he is accused of two offences of misconduct in a public office and one of sexual assault.

Prosecutors allege Cocks had sex with an inmate against a laundry room washing machine, in her cell and in a staff room during a secret relationship lasting almost two years.

Cocks – whose wife also works at the prison – is also accused of engaging in flirtatious behaviour with another inmate before sexually assaulting her. The offending is said to have taken place between June 2015 and May 2017.

Cocks’s barrister, Rebecca Stevens, asked the defendant: “Was there ever any sexual contact with (the inmate) in the laundry room?” He replied: “No.”

Ms Stevens asked: “Have you ever had any physical contact with her at all in there?” Cocks said: “No, not at all.” Cocks accepted he took a former inmate back to his home in Barnsley and had sex with her while his wife was working at the prison. Ms Stevens said: “What, if any, conversation did you have about being a prison officer and her being a prisoner?”

He said: “We both knew it was wrong but I liked her and she liked me a lot. I spoke to her and said ‘if we do get on and this carried on, I am going to have to leave my job.’”

Cocks said he confessed to his wife about having sex with the woman.

The trial continues.