{"id":99545,"date":"2026-08-08T01:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/99545\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:53:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:53:13","slug":"prison-officer-pals-who-had-relationships-with-jailed-gangster-brothers-locked-up-after-valentines-cards-and-necklaces-found","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/99545\/","title":{"rendered":"Prison officer pals who had relationships with jailed gangster brothers locked up after Valentine’s cards and necklaces found"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two prison officers began secret relationships with two gangster brothers after the drug dealers were moved to a jail in Rochdale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, who worked at HMP Buckley Hall, shared Valentine’s cards with Dil Nawaz, 30, and Haq Nawaz, 32. Gascoyne ordered matching necklaces and bracelets for her and Dil Nawaz. The female defendants also received money from associates of the brothers.<\/p>\n

Their relationships did not become sexual and they did not smuggle contraband on their behalf. But the pair were both jailed as a judge warned a message should be sent out to female prison officers who may tempted to do the same.<\/p>\n

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Gascoyne admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Dil Nawaz between January 20, 2024, and April 4, 2024. While Walton admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Haq Nawaz between January 21, 2024, and March 16, 2024.<\/p>\n

Prosecuting, Philip Hall said that Buckley Hall is a category C jail with more than 450 prisoners, and about 200 staff. Gascoyne had worked there since August 2021, and Walton from January 2023.<\/p>\n

Mr Hall said the pair were friends and socialised outside of work. After starting their jobs, they both undertook security training which included modules on \u2018corruption prevention\u2019 and on the \u2018consequences of becoming personally involved with prisoners\u2019.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Haq Nawaz (left) and Dil Nawaz(Image: Lancashire Police)<\/p>\n

They later completed further training organised by the counter corruption unit. \u201cElle Walton mentioned the consequences of wrongdoing could involve a prison sentence,\u201d Mr Hall said.<\/p>\n

Haq Nawaz and Dil Nawaz both received lengthy jail terms in 2023 for the leading roles they played in a Lancashire drugs gang. Lancashire Police said that the gang was responsible for the distribution of between \u00a32.15m and \u00a33.1m worth of crack cocaine and heroin over a 12 month period.<\/p>\n

The gang \u2018controlled an army of drug dealers and runners\u2019, the force said. The brothers arrived at Buckley Hall in April 2023. Mr Hall said an investigation was launched into relationships formed between the drug dealers and the two female prison officers after the anti-corruption unit received \u2018intelligence\u2019.<\/p>\n

Gascoyne was searched as she entered the prison on March 28, 2024. There was no contraband found, but she was wearing two necklaces, one engraved with the letter D, and one with an Arabic script.<\/p>\n

Mr Hall said: \u201cJai Gascoyne could not explain what the Arabic script meant, and she tried to explain \u2018D\u2019 was a reference to her dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

The court was told that the Arabic was an \u2018Islamic prayer for protection\u2019 from the Quran. The probe discovered that Gascoyne had bought two necklaces and two bracelets on Amazon.<\/p>\n

A similar necklace and a bracelet was discovered in Dil Nawaz\u2019s cell later that day. In Gascoyne\u2019s car, police found a \u2018love letter\u2019 card addressed to him which was signed off \u2018I will always love you\u2019. A ring was also found inside a box.<\/p>\n

Dil Nawaz was found to be wearing a \u2018silver bracelet with J on a love heart pendant\u2019. In his cell a necklace \u2018identical\u2019 to the one worn by Gascoyne was found. A \u2018Valentine’s card\u2019 addressed to \u2018D\u2019 was found which said \u2018I love you always\u2019.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jai Gascoyne (left) and Elle Walton (Image: Facebook, GMP)<\/p>\n

At around the same time, Haq Nawaz\u2019s cell was searched. He was wearing a chain around his neck featuring the letter \u2018E\u2019, and a \u2018Valentine’s card\u2019 was also found.<\/p>\n

Phone records were searched. \u201cThis revealed Jai Gascoyne and Elle Walton had been using their personal phones to contact illicit mobile phones used by Dil and Haq inside the prison,\u201d Mr Hall said.<\/p>\n

Dil Nawaz and Walton had made 462 contacts via phone or text, and Gascoyne and Dil Nawaz had made 382 contacts. This did not include WhatsApp or Snapchat messages.<\/p>\n

Dil Nawaz had a prepaid phone which was registered to \u2018Prepay Street\u2019 in \u2018Faketown\u2019. Dil Nawaz was saved in Gascoyne\u2019s phone as \u2018D x\u2019.<\/p>\n

They shared \u2018collage\u2019 images of them next to each other. Walton and Gascoyne would sometimes use pseudonyms instead of the Nawaz brother\u2019s real names, but would \u2018slip up\u2019 and use their real names. Haq Nawaz was sometimes called \u2018Nathan\u2019 and Dil as \u2018Daniel\u2019.<\/p>\n

Mr Hall said: \u201cIt was clear each knew of the other\u2019s inappropriate relationship and they supported each other in the offending.\u201dProsecutors said that Gascoyne was \u2018fully aware\u2019 of the brothers\u2019 crimes as she had accessed a news article about their case, as well as a search for \u2018Preston gangster list\u2019.<\/p>\n

Gascoyne and Dil Nawaz exchanged messages on Snapchat in which they told of \u2018their love for each other\u2019. They also talked about Facetime and being in a relationship.<\/p>\n

Dil Nawaz messaged Gascoyne about \u2018wanting to have sex with her and how she could take him to the chapel or open his door and go in his room\u2019.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale(Image: GMWN)<\/p>\n

Walton wished Haq Nawaz a happy birthday on Snapchat. Gascoyne and Walton also spoke with each other on Snapchat about another prisoner, referred to \u2018Kieran\u2019 or \u2018killer\u2019.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said \u2018killer\u2019 was a nickname for Haq Nawaz\u2019s then cellmate, a man named Mohammed Khalil. Gascoyne said she had spoken with the prisoner on the phone for \u201845 minutes\u2019 and said she texted him \u2018telling him she loves him\u2019.<\/p>\n

Walton told Gascoyne that \u2018Dil thinks she\u2019s fit\u2019, with Gascoyne responding by saying she is \u2018going to divorce\u2019 Kieran.<\/p>\n

Both women talked with each other \u2018extensively\u2019 about their relationships with the Nawaz brothers, and they referred to each other as \u2018Mrs N\u2019.<\/p>\n

Gascoyne provided her bank details to Dil Nawaz. She was sent payments of \u00a380 and \u00a3130 from his sister\u2019s account. Walton received payments of \u00a3500, \u00a3100 and \u00a3250 from an associate of Haq Nawaz.<\/p>\n

Both women resigned from their role. Gascoyne also pleaded guilty to having an inappropriate relationship with another prisoner named Michael Haigh, in the early hours of March 28 that year.<\/p>\n

Haigh had asked Gascoyne to \u2018give him a cuddle in his cell\u2019. In messages she said: \u201cNo yeah we\u2019ll have one xxx\u201d. She also said: \u201cYeah we can do, a goodbye cuddle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walton made online searches including \u2018Styal prison cells\u2019, \u2018can an ex prison officer visit a prisoner\u2019, \u2018prison officer accused of inappropriate relationship\u2019, and \u2018is there a way to delete you[r] iMessage of an old phone without having the phone with you\u2019.<\/p>\n

It was later found that visits had been arranged for both of the women to visit the Nawaz brothers at other prisons.<\/p>\n

Mr Hall said that the pair had \u2018deliberately failed in their duty to protect the integrity of the prison system\u2019.<\/p>\n

Lawyers for both women appealed for them to be spared a prison sentence. But the judge, Recorder Ben Lawrence, said a deterrent sentence was required to put off others in future from doing the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were well aware you were not to have relationships with prisoners under any circumstances,\u201d he told the pair.<\/p>\n

He said he concluded from Gascoyne\u2019s searching of \u2018Preston gangster list\u2019 that she may have found \u2018their offending in some way impressive and exciting\u2019.<\/p>\n

He said the pair had breached the trust placed in them as part of their job. \u201cYou have undermined that trust in the most devastating way you could have in that role,\u201d the judge added.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors accepted that the women had not engaged in sexual relationships with the prisoners and had not tried to smuggle any contraband into the jail.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Michael O\u2019Brien, defending Walton, said she fully accepted responsibility for her actions and was \u2018deeply remorseful\u2019.<\/p>\n

She was described as \u2018kind, caring and hard working\u2019 by those who know her and her actions were \u2018entirely out of character\u2019, he said.<\/p>\n

Nick Cockrell, defending Gascoyne, said her remorse was \u2018genuine\u2019. Gaby McGrath, for Dil Nawaz, said that his \u2018head was all over the place\u2019 at the time of the offending after he split up with his long term partner following his jail sentence being imposed.<\/p>\n

She said there was \u2018no planning\u2019 ahead of the relationship and that it \u2018came out of nowhere\u2019 after they began speaking with each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe felt as though it was a place for him to deal with some of his problems,\u201d Ms McGrath said. For Haq Nawaz, Mark Stephenson described the defendant and Walton as acting like \u2018lovesick teenagers\u2019. He said Haq Nawaz, a father of six, was \u2018struggling to come to terms\u2019 with his long sentence and split with his long term partner.<\/p>\n

He became \u2018isolated\u2019 from his family and \u2018felt like he had someone to talk to\u2019, the barrister said. \u201cHe feels extremely bad for Ms Walton and her family,\u201d Mr Stephenson said. \u201cHe recognises he is a criminal and she comes from a good family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gascoyne, of Chapel Street, Dukinfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office. Walton, of Gordon Street, Bacup, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in a public office.<\/p>\n

Haq Nawaz, previously of Leyland, Lancashire, and Dil Nawaz, previously of Preston, Lancashire, both pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, namely misconduct in public office, and possessing a prohibited item in prison.<\/p>\n

Gascoyne was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Walton was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Both will serve up to 40 per cent of the sentence behind bars.<\/p>\n

The Nawaz brothers both had a year added to their sentences. Dil Nawaz was previously sentenced to 13 years and ten months in prison, while Haq Nawaz was sentenced to 12 years for their parts in a class A drug conspiracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two prison officers began secret relationships with two gangster brothers after the drug dealers were moved to a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99546,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[141,5018,994,20716,10140,5,6],"class_list":["post-99545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-courts","tag-lancashire","tag-rochdale","tag-stalybridge-and-dukinfield","tag-tameside","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/117057395407187815","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}