Rosie Smith, 28, was handed a 24-month prison term suspended for two years at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday (July 3) for misconduct in public office over her months-long affair with Marli Casaletto when she worked at HMP Rochester in 2023.
The pair exchanged around 300 phone calls during that time between January and November of that year, as well as video calls, the number not being known, but screenshots of the pair were found in Smith’s phone.
Casaletto, 32, used three phones from within the prison which he switched around using one after the other.
Smith also had contact with his mother and appeared to be sent money to buy a car from his father, the court heard.
Handwritten letters were found at her home address, including some from the prisoner, and some written by her, in which she described him as the “love of my life” and said: “Cannot wait to see what our future holds together.”
In messages to the defendant’s mother, she also said: “Obviously doesn’t look great me saying he’s in prison and not only does that look bad I also work there”.
She also wrote: “Wish I never worked where I did and all of this wouldn’t have been an issue.”
Casaletto, of Uplands Road, Brighton, who was released from prison in May 2024, was handed a sentence of eight months’ jail term suspended for 12 months, for unauthorised transmission of an image or sound by electronic communication from within a prison.
Smith was also sentenced for the same offence for nine months to run concurrently with the more serious offence of misconduct in public office.
Sentencing them, Judge Lee Harris said: “To say this was stupid is an understatement, it was much worse than that.
“You both entered into this relationship with your eyes open … and knowing what you were doing was wrong.”
To Smith, he said: “You knew – or certainly should have known – what a difficult job being a prison officer is. How important discipline is.
“You let yourself down, you let your colleagues down, you let everyone in that prison down. You risked your safety and all of their safety.”
Smith, of The Street, Pluckley, Ashford in Kent, was emotional in the dock throughout the sentencing hearing.
On deciding not to hand down immediate jail terms, Judge Harris said he had taken the “exceptional course for slightly different reasons for both of you”.
Of Smith, he said: “You have no previous offending, I am confident on the report I’ve seen you won’t offend again.
“There is very strong personal mitigation for you.”
He also said it would be unclear what would happen to her baby son if she went to prison, as she was the primary carer.
Defending Smith, barrister Pamela Rose described Smith as a “very vulnerable lady”.
For Casaletto, who is living with his mother, working and is in a new relationship engaged to be married, the judge said: “The corner you have turned is just enough for me to take a chance on you.
“It’s a big chance and I accept that, don’t let me down, don’t let yourself down.”
Defending Casaletto, barrister Abbey Robertson said he was trying to get his life back on track and be a good role model for his children.
Casaletto and Smith pleaded guilty to their offences at earlier hearings.
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