Prison officer claims she was 'forced' into 'having phone sex with inmate'

15 December 2023 , 22:35

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Female prison officer Ruth Shmylo arriving at Cardiff Crown Court where she pleaded not guilty to having an 'inappropriate relationship' with an inmate (Image: PA)

A prison officer who allegedly had phone sex with an inmate told a court she was forced into it and felt "disgusting" afterwards.

Ruth Shmylo has been accused of beginning an "inappropriate relationship" with inmate Harri Pullen, whilst she was working as a prison officer and he was serving time behind bars. This was said to have taken place at HMP Parc, in Bridgend, and the 26-year-old from Pontypridd, is said to have failed to have reported his advances and then actively engaged in the relationship - which involved phone sex.

During a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Shmylo said she felt "forced" into having phone sex with the inmate and felt "disgusting" afterwards. She has insisted that she was being manipulated by Pullen and that she felt threatened by him. Shmylo, of Lewis Street, Treforest, denies one count of misconduct in a public office, WalesOnline reported.

The police interview of the former prison officer, held at a police station in Bridgend, following her arrest, was read out in court today. It was heard that she was asked if she had ever had physical contact with Pullen. She said the only time they had ever done so was when Pullen’s gran had died and he fell, grief stricken, into her arms.

Ruth Shmylo has been accused of beginning an "inappropriate relationship" (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

Ruth Shmylo, 26, is accused of having phone sex with "manipulative" drug dealer Harri Pullen (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

When asked whether she had engaged in phone sex with him, she nodded and said she was "forced" to do it. She added: "He kept trying to say rude things on the phone to me and I was saying no. At one point I cried on the phone and I said I don't want to do this with you. This is disgusting. It angered me. He said: 'Do you think I'm disgusting? Do you think I'm hanging?' He made it all about him."

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She told the officer that she began receiving phone calls from Pullen after he got a hold of her work diary. She claims that she told him to stop contacting her, but he continued and despite this never reported it. Shmylo told the officer: "I tried to stop contact with him and at one point he was calling me every day and I was trying to ignore his calls.

"It was just non stop. I spoke to him to pacify him. I was terrified of him. Even to the point when he went to Manchester prison - I told him I was moving to Australia and out of the country hoping that would try to get him to stop. He just wouldn't get it … I said 'you are making me ill. Please, I am begging you, please leave me alone'."

The court heard how she also told the officer: "I don't have feelings for him. There was no relationship." When confronted by the officer on why she did not report Pullen’s advances, she said she "feared" him. She told the officer: "I was scared of him. [He was known as] someone to take seriously. Everyone knew what he was like. He was feared by staff and feared by prisoners."

Paul Dewey