Five Wells prison officer and inmate plead guilty to relationship and smuggling offences
19-year-old Alicia Novas, who had a sexual relationship with 30-year-old inmate Declan Winkless, will be sentenced on January 5 after each admitted to misconduct and smuggling offences.
Each attended Northampton Crown Court on Monday, December 1.
Former officer at the Wellingborough prison, Novas, of Holdenby Drive, Raunds, pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office, two counts of transmitting/causing the transmission of an image/sound from a prison without authority, one count of bringing/throwing/conveying a List 'A' prohibited article into/out of a prison and one count of bringing/throwing/ conveying a List 'B' prohibited article into/out of a prison.
A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: “The charges relate to incidents that occurred at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough and HMP Peterborough between August 1, 2024, and March 21, 2025.
“Novas was remanded into custody and will be sentenced, alongside Winkless, on Monday, January 5, at Northampton Crown Court.”
Declan Winkless, formerly of Kirkdale Road in South Wigston, is serving an 11-year sentence for aggravated burglary at HMP Five Wells. Also on December 1 he pleaded guilty to the same charges.
Winkless also pleas guilty to a further charge of possessing inside a prison, without authority, an item specified in section 40D(3B) (of the Prison Act 1952).
Their sentencing will take place in January 2026.