Prison boss says calls with ex-inmate were 'stupid'
PA MediaA prison governor accused of having a relationship with an inmate tearfully told a court she had been "incredibly stupid" by taking calls with him on a burner phone after his release, but denied doing anything wrong.
Kerri Pegg, 42, is alleged to have had a relationship with convicted drug dealer Anthony Saunderson, who was known to criminal associates by the name Jesse Pinkman, a character from the TV show Breaking Bad.
Giving evidence, Ms Pegg told the jury: "I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, but when I look back now, I was incredibly stupid."
It is alleged Ms Pegg was given a £12,000 car from Saunderson after she had approved his temporary release from HMP Kirkham in Lancashire.
Police seized the Mercedes C class saloon - allegedly paid for by Saunderson in drugs - outside her home when police swooped in November 2019.
Inside her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, they found designer clothes, shoes, handbags and jewellery - along with size 10 Hugo Boss flip flops and a toothbrush, both carrying traces of Saunderson's DNA.
Ms Pegg told jurors at Preston Crown Court she did not know how Saunderson's DNA got on the flip flops found in her flat.
But she said his DNA may have got on the toothbrush because at the time she wore braces and had to brush her teeth regularly after meals.
She said it meant she carried toothbrushes with her at all times and the DNA transfer may have come from contact with her in prison.
The court heard Saunderson was given a 10-year jail term in November 2014 for drugs conspiracy and money laundering, and was moved to HMP Kirkham - an open prison - in June 2017.
Ms Pegg joined the prison as a governor in 2018 and allegedly broke the rules by signing off on Saunderson's temporary release without proper authority, something she denies.
Saunderson served his sentence and was released from Kirkham on 22 May 2019.
But two months later, he became involved in another conspiracy to supply drugs, identified as the boss of a drug gang and went by the name of Jesse Pinkman. He has since been convicted for those offences.
'I didn't think I was doing anything wrong'
At the same time, in July 2019, the court heard Ms Pegg had created a contact in her phone for Saunderson.
She said she did so because he had been contracted by some prisons to go inside and run a project - titled BADD, Breaking Alcohol and Drug Dependency - and she was giving him some assistance and advice.
Ms Pegg said she got a phone call at work "out of the blue" from Saunderson in October 2020.
She told the court Saunderson was feeling low and wanted someone to talk to, but his had said his wife was a very jealous woman and asked if she had an alternative number he could contact her on.
Ms Pegg said: "I bought a cheap Nokia phone and sim card. The phone was for him to use as a support mechanism."
Andrew Alty, defending, said: "He was an ex-prisoner. You have acquired a phone, called a burner phone, to allow him to communicate with you outside the prison. Did you report this?"
Ms Pegg replied: "No. I still viewed him as a colleague.
"I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, but when I look back now, I was incredibly stupid. I look back now and think, 'Why did I do that?'"
Ms Pegg denies two counts of misconduct in a public office, one by having a relationship with Saunderson and the second by failing to disclose county court judgements about her debts, leaving her vulnerable to exploitation.
She also denies one count of possessing criminal property, the Mercedes car, from Saunderson.
The trial continues.
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