A former probation officer has been sentenced to prison after her secret relationship with a convicted murderer was revealed through CCTV footage during a prison visit.
Bethany Dent-Reynolds, 27, received an eight-month sentence for engaging in an “inappropriate” affair with Kieran Robinson, who is currently serving 23 years for murdering teenager Donnell Rule in July 2020 alongside his cousin.
The two initially met when Dent-Reynolds worked at HMP Belmarsh in south-east London. Their relationship took a romantic turn after she became a probation officer at HMP Brixton, another prison located nearly an hour away.
According to evidence presented in Woolwich Crown Court, the pair exchanged explicit messages and spoke frequently over the phone. Dent-Reynolds even accessed sensitive information about Robinson’s murder case via the probation computer system, discussing it with him and suggesting that his co-defendants were “all stuck on you.”
Later, Robinson was moved to HMP Rodham Grange in Nottinghamshire, about three hours from London, where Dent-Reynolds continued to visit him. During one of these visits, footage revealed the duo hugging and kissing on a sofa.
Further investigation uncovered many WhatsApp messages exchanged between them, including explicit content and requests for “favors” from Robinson. Prosecutor Sam Willis noted that they were seen holding hands and talking, even while other people were around.
While defending her client, Chantelle Stocks argued that Dent-Reynolds had a previously unblemished reputation, stating, “This does not suggest any direct physical sexual contact between the two.” She downplayed their interactions, mentioning that they mainly exchanged candies which had “minimal impact.”
Court messages suggested that while they had affectionate exchanges, there were signs of conflicts too. For instance, Robinson texted an apology, to which Dent-Reynolds replied, “I promise, you’ve been forgotten.”
Ultimately, she was sentenced to eight months for her inappropriate relationship with Robinson.
