Gatwick border force officer who sent sensitive documents to prisoners avoids jail

Jade Hearn has been handed a suspended sentence (Image: NCA)

A border force officer who sent sensitive documents to prisoners has avoided jail.

Jade Hearn worked on an anti-smuggling team at Gatwick airport.

The 26-year-old had been communicating with at least four men who were using illegally held phones from inside prison.

In some cases, she sent images of sensitive documents containing details of criminal records and people who were in custody after being arrested for drug smuggling.

The Argus: Jade Hearn worked on an anti-smuggling team at Gatwick Airport

Jade Hearn worked on an anti-smuggling team at Gatwick Airport (Image: NCA)

She also sent a video of drugs seized at Gatwick, including someone holding a tape-wrapped package with a picture of Pablo Escobar on it.

One time she even shared details of a police investigation that she was assisting.

In January 2021, Hearn was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) at her office after a tip off from HM Prison Service.

The service found out she had been sending pictures of herself in Border Force uniform to a prisoner serving a sentence in HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire.

Further investigations showed she was moving money through her bank account on behalf of those involved in drug trafficking.

In one instance she told drug traffickers to break payments up into smaller amounts to avoid raising suspicion, saying “don’t put it all in one go”.

During the investigation, NCA officers found that Hearn had worked at Wandsworth Prison before working for the Border Force so would have had knowledge of prison security systems too.

After being arrested by the NCA, Hearn was charged with five different offences including misconduct in public office, encouraging or assisting the use of an illegal prison phone and possessing and supplying a class B drug.

She pleaded guilty to all offences, and on Friday, January 19, a judge at Southwark Crown Court sentenced her to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years.

The Argus: A mock up of texts Jade sent to a prisoner

A mock up of texts Jade sent to a prisoner (Image: NCA)

Dave Rock, operations manager at the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit said: “Jade Hearn abused her position as a Border Force officer and knowingly shared sensitive information with people serving prison terms for drug dealing.

“She communicated with individuals behind bars knowing that they were holding those phones illegally, and assisted them in their criminality by arranging money transfers. The NCA worked closely with the Prison Service to end their conspiracy.

“We do not believe that any of the information she passed on caused major impact to ongoing investigations or operations, but there is no doubt that the potential to do so was there had we not stopped her. Her corrupt activity was the definition of misconduct in public office.

“We know organised crime groups target insiders at ports and airports for their knowledge and access, which is why stamping out corruption across all law enforcement is such a priority for the NCA and our partners such as Border Force.”