Former HMP Five Wells prisoner involved with officer has sentenced increased by Court of Appeal

The 31-year-old, from Leicester, was convicted of prison smuggling and encouraging misconduct in a public office offences at Northampton Crown Court in December last year.

Winkless, formerly of Kirkdale Road, South Wigston, was already serving an 11-year sentence for aggravated burglary.

He was sentenced in January to a total of three years and four months, to be served consecutively, after pleading guilty to seven offences – two counts of encouraging misconduct in public office; unauthorised communication within HMP Five Wells and HMP Peterborough; conveying cannabis into prison; conveying two mobile phones into prison; and unauthorised possession of communication devices within a prison.

Following a submission to the Court of Appeal on behalf of the Solicitor General that the overall sentence, handed out by Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, was unduly lenient, Winkless’ original sentence was quashed on Tuesday, June 30, and replaced with an increased sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

The three-year prison sentence for former prison officer Alicia Novas, 20, from Raunds, who was also convicted in December of six offences relating to prison smuggling and misconduct in a public office, remains unchanged.

Novas and Winkless’ crimes came to light in December 2024, following a search of Winkless’ cell on December 22, during which a mobile phone was found. Examination of the phone revealed conversations between Winkless and Novas.

The investigation also revealed that Novas smuggled cannabis, tobacco and two mobile phones into the prison for Winkless.