A married prison officer jailed for filming a wild romp with an inmate says she “felt like a gangster” after her encounters with the convicted burglar.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was identified by senior prison staff after an X-rated clip showing her rendezvous with Linton Weirich, an inmate at HMP Wandsworth in south London, where she worked as a prison officer. The clip, recorded on a smartphone, prompted outrage after it went viral in summer 2024.
The mum-of-one, who was living with her partner at the time of the offence, was jailed for 15 months on Monday after admitting to misconduct in a public office. Judge Martin Edmunds KC’s sentencing remarks were released on Tuesday, disclosing new details about the shock case, including the former official’s twisted mindset.
Sex tape prison guard Linda De Sousa Abreu sharing jail with Sara Sharif’s stepmum and Lucy Letby
De Sousa Abreu was sentenced to 15 months in jail on Monday
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De Sousa Abreu was seen by consultant forensic scientist Dr Iain Kooyman ahead of her sentencing, with the Dr disclosing in a report submitted to the court that she “loved” Weirich. She reportedly saw the convict as a “protector” to whom she reciprocated “sexual services”.
Referring to the report in his sentencing remarks, Judge Edmunds said she “came to view the prisoner as your protector, a person who made you feel safe”. He added: “And in that context you provided sexual services.” Continuing his statement, the judge said Dr Kooyman observed she “enjoyed a sense of power” with her position that made her “grandiose and delusional”.
De Sousa Abreu felt she was in love with the inmate, a psychiatrist’s report concluded
He said: “A clearer assessment comes in my view, from Dr Kooyman who observed that, although you felt unsupported, you enjoyed the sense of power that came with your position, the prisoners doing as you asked, saying you became grandiose and delusional, your mood high and that you loved working there
“You told him that you developed a close attachment to the prisoner to the extent of wanting the relationship to continue after he was released, you say that you loved him, that you never felt so safe in your life and you ‘felt like a gangster’. You said that you did not believe that consequences existed for you and did not think that you would be caught.
The mum-of-one was caught before she was able to board a flight to Madrid
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“Looking back, you now say that he groomed you.” The clip showing the convict and officer’s steamy encounter captured the second time De Sousa Abreu had had sex with Weirich. It also reportedly followed a secret hookup earlier that same day, when the mum performed oral sex on him.
When she discovered the clip went viral, she tried to flee to Spain with her father, but was caught by police at Heathrow Airport before she could leave the country for Madrid. The UK Prison Service condemned the incident in a statement following her sentencing on Monday, saying De Sousa Abreu was part of a “small minority” of officers who “break the rules”.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service said: “While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we’re catching more of the small minority who break the rules by bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards we won’t hesitate to take robust action.”