A former police and prison officer has been jailed after her involvement in a burglary and money laundering conspiracy. Stephanie Heaps, 32, started a relationship with convicted murderer Leon Ramsden, also known as Layton, while working as a prison officer. The pair have since married.
She worked as a prison officer from March 2018 to July 2019 and then as a police officer in the Bolton district up to her arrest and resignation in early 2020. Becoming increasingly aware of Ramsden's criminal activities in prison, such as cannabis dealing, and not reporting him, she soon became involved, providing him with phones and advice to keep them hidden from detection. Leon Ramsden, also known as Layton, with Stephanie Heaps (Image: Public) After leaving her role at the prison and becoming a police officer, Heaps supplied him with information on other prison officers and an address of a home to burgle, that of her ex-boyfriend.
Today, Heaps, Ramsden and four members of the gang who were involved in the crimes were sentenced at Bolton Crown Court. Mitigation for Heaps, Lee Ramsden, Clifford McCarthy and Philip Markland had been given on a previous date, with mitigation for the remaining two to be done today. Defending Layton Ramsden, David Pojur said: "The relationship between him and Stephanie Heaps, whilst that is an aggravating feature, these are two people whose paths have crossed, they have met and it is in actual fact a love story between the two of them.
"They have married in Dec.