A woman who formerly worked as a prison officer has admitted to making unauthorized phone calls to a violent inmate incarcerated for a brutal machete assault.
Heather Pinchbeck, aged 28, is alleged to have engaged in covert communication with Joseph Hardy, aged 31, while serving as a guard at HMP Dovegate, a Category B prison in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Hardy, a convicted offender, received a 14-year sentence for causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) in 2017 after a vicious assault that severely injured his victim’s leg.
During a court session at Birmingham Crown Court, the ex-prison officer, aged 28, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office. The misconduct occurred between February and March 2023 and involved her intentionally communicating with a prisoner using an unauthorized mobile phone.
Prosecutor Antonie Muller did not disclose further specifics but mentioned that a second charge might be addressed during sentencing. Pinchbeck’s defense team successfully requested a pre-sentencing report before her sentencing hearing scheduled for January 9, 2026.
Hardy is facing charges related to the illicit communications and possession of a mobile device while in prison. Pinchbeck, who is currently employed at a public relations agency, previously worked as a Prison Offender Manager for HM Prison Service.
Before his imprisonment in December 2017, Hardy was involved in a confrontation with the victim shortly before the violent incident. Prosecution revealed that he retrieved a machete from his vehicle, brandished it, and attacked the victim at a location on May 4, 2017.
Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene to find the victim with severe injuries, including a nearly severed leg and head wounds. The victim’s leg was amputated above the knee six days later, and medical scans showed a fractured skull.
During sentencing, Judge David Stockdale QC condemned the assault as both “brutal” and “cowardly,” emphasizing the victim’s defenseless state during the sustained attack.