Prison guard underwent personal transformation during affair with inmate
AMY Connors’ husband was convinced his wife was having an affair at work — and he was right. But one important detail floored him completely.
NSW
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THE raging husband of the female prison guard who conducted a clandestine affair with a cop killer behind bars called the jail demanding to know the other officer involved - but was told: “Sorry, it’s an inmate.”
Senior prison officer of 14 years Amy Connors had fallen for cocky convinced gunman Sione Penisini during a secret 12-month romance at Kempsey Maximum security prison.
During that time the mother-of-two underwent a dramatic image overhaul, including having a gastric band operation, which saw her shrink from an oversized 18 to 12.
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She also bought a souped-up motorbike, got her body adorned in tattoos, dyed her hair plum red and bought a gym membership.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the pair had sex in his cell at night when she let herself in using her own key and without another officer present, breaching protocol and procedure.
Ms Connors, who has split from her husband, was involved in welfare work with criminals which gave her one-on-one time with inmates.
“Her husband suspected she was having an affair for months and called prison managers convinced he was going mad,” a source told the Daily Telegraph.
“Intelligence officers looked into it and intercepted one of the three-way conversations and realised she had been talking to Penisini for months.
“They also put her under surveillance for a month to watch their movements.
“She is being investigated for having an inappropriate affair.
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“She’s afraid to say what she thinks, we’re amazed she fell for someone like Penisini but he can be charming and had been wooing her for months, telling her she was looking amazing after losing weight.
“She really liked him and was talking about divorcing her husband.”
Mr Connors’ complaint triggered an internal probe which unearthed phone calls conducted between the pair were facilitated by a mutual friend whom Penisini would call.
The pair held secret phone conversations in which the friend would put Penisini on loud speaker and would leave them to talk.
Eventually her husband became suspicious and called prison managers, demanding to know who was behind the affair.
Intelligence officers dispatched to investigate the allegations intercepted a phone call at the weekend when, typically, fewer intelligence staff work.
“Her husband was gobsmacked when he found out it was an inmate.”
Penisini was sentenced to 36 years’ jail in 2002 after murdering police officer Glenn McEnally.
Penisini has since been moved to Goulburn Supermax jail, home to Australia’s most hardened criminals, after allegedly assaulting a fellow prisoner in recent weeks.
Neither guard or prisoner will face charges if the alleged tryst is proven because it is not illegal.
Corrective Services Minister David Elliott said the allegations were not a criminal act but “it is a breach of the code of conduct’ for Corrective Services staff”.
NSW Opposition spokesman for corrective services Prisons Guy Zangari blamed the affair on staff cutbacks.
“This is not a junior staff member - she’s senior and knows what she’s doing,” he said.
“It is clearly evidence that the government cuts are impacting on management structures.
“Minister Elliott has much to answer for regarding his communication with his commissioner.
“The question is does the minister hold weekly briefings with his commissioner about the state of the prisons - if he had, he would have known about this before the media.
“He is unfit to hold the corrections portfolio and should step aside.”