Former Corrective Services NSW officer Amber Clavell convicted, sentenced over illicit relationship with armed robber Mark Kennedy

A former corrections officer has told a court she is “disgusted, distressed and truly sorry” for starting a romance behind bars with a convicted armed robber while “emotionally vulnerable”.

An “emotionally vulnerable” corrections officer was “thrown into the deep end” when given a new role at a Sydney prison, leading her to spark up an affair with an inmate, a court has heard.

Amber Clavell, who fell pregnant as a result of the forbidden romance, avoided landing behind bars herself on Wednesday, when she was convicted and sentenced in Penrith Local Court to an intensive correction order for two years and three months.

The 25-year-old, who pleaded guilty to accessing and modifying restricted data, misconducting herself as a holder of public office and supplying a prohibited drug, will also be required to complete 200 hours of community service.

Additional charges of unlawfully delivering or attempting to deliver anything to an inmate, bringing a prohibited plant into a place of detention and engaging in a relationship with an inmate were also taken into account on sentence.

The former drug and alcohol counsellor, who worked at the Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Complex in Sydney’s northwest, became romantically involved in January with convicted armed robber Mark Kennedy.

Amber Clavell at her corrections graduation ceremony

At the same time, Clavell’s best friend and former colleague, Jessica Elguindy, was having an affair of her own with inmate Beau Jones, which lasted four months.

Court documents reveal Clavell found out she was pregnant in April, telling Elguindy in text messages how Kennedy had been “so caring” when they discussed terminating the pregnancy.

Amber Clavell leaves Penrith Local Court. Picture: Madeleine Damo

Amber Clavell leaves Penrith Local Court. Picture: Madeleine Damo

Text messages included in the police facts, tendered to the court, also reveal Clavell told her friend “I’m an idiot” and “I’m literally pregnant”.

Elguindy replied: “No your (sic) not, you are such a smart girl with a such a bright future ahead, you’ve just hit a wall and we will get through it.”

Things came to an end for Clavell on April 23, when she was sprung bringing 33g of methamphetamine, which had been hidden on her body, into the jail.

In a letter to the court, Clavell wrote that she was “disgusted, disappointed and truly sorry” for her conduct, which started after her new role as a counsellor resulted in her being “thrown into the deep end” and “told to kick (her) legs and swim”.

Jessica Elguindy.

Jessica Elguindy.

The court did not hear what had become of Clavell’s pregnancy.

Magistrate Stephen Corry noted Clavell was “emotionally vulnerable to outside influences”, as outlined in a psychological report.

He also said her lack of professional qualifications and training on the job were “a major contributing factor”.

In sentencing, Mr Corry took into account Clavell’s remorse, introspection and the fact she had pleaded guilty at an early opportunity.

Elguindy previously pleaded guilty to engaging in an intimate relationship with an inmate, accessing restricted data and misconducting herself as a holder of public office.

She was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month intensive correction order.

Both women have resigned from their roles with Corrective Services NSW.