Prison officer spared jail over ‘stupid’ relationship with inmate

A prison officer has been spared jail after having a romantic relationship with an inmate from Brighton.

Judge Lee Harris sentenced Rosie Smith, 28, and said that to describe the relationship as “stupid is an understatement”.

Smith was handed a 24-month prison term, suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court today (Friday 3 July).

She was sentenced for misconduct in public office over her months-long affair with Marli Casaletto when she worked at Rochester Prison in 2023.

The pair exchanged around 300 phone calls from January to November of that year, as well as video calls, the number not being known, but screenshots of the pair were found in Smith’s phone.

Casaletto, 32, of Uplands Road, Hollingdean, used three phones from within the prison which he switched around, using one after the other.

Smith also had contact with his mother and appeared to be sent money to buy a car from his father, the court was told.

Handwritten letters were found at her home address, including some from the prisoner and some written by her, in which she described him as the “love of my life” and said: “Cannot wait to see what our future holds together.”

In messages to the defendant’s mother, she also said: “Obviously doesn’t look great me saying he’s in prison and not only does that look bad, I also work there.”

She also wrote: “Wish I never worked where I did and all of this wouldn’t have been an issue.”

Casaletto, who was released from prison in May 2024, was sentenced to eight months, suspended for 12 months, for unauthorised transmission of an image or sound by electronic communication from within a prison.

Smith was also sentenced for the same offence to nine months to run concurrently with the more serious offence of misconduct in public office.

Judge Harris said: “To say this was stupid is an understatement. It was much worse than that.

“You both entered into this relationship with your eyes open … and knowing what you were doing was wrong.”

To Smith, he said: “You knew – or certainly should have known – what a difficult job being a prison officer is. How important discipline is.

“You let yourself down. You let your colleagues down. You let everyone in that prison down. You risked your safety and all of their safety.”

Smith, of The Street, Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, was emotional in the dock throughout the sentencing hearing.

On deciding not to hand down immediate jail terms, Judge Harris said that he had taken the “exceptional course for slightly different reasons for both of you”.

Of Smith, he said: “You have no previous offending. I am confident on the report I’ve seen you won’t offend again. There is very strong personal mitigation for you.”

He also said that it would be unclear what would happen to her baby son if she went to prison as she was the primary carer.

Pamela Rose, defending Smith, said that Smith was a “very vulnerable lady”.

The judge told Casaletto, who is living with his mother, working and in a new relationship, engaged to be married: “The corner you have turned is just enough for me to take a chance on you.

“It’s a big chance and I accept that. Don’t let me down. Don’t let yourself down.”

Abbey Robertson, defending Casaletto, said that he was trying to get his life back on track and be a good role model for his children.

Casaletto and Smith pleaded guilty to their offences at earlier hearings.

Casaletto’s previous offences included a robbery when cash boxes were stolen from a security van, in Conway Street, Hove, in November 2018. The driver was threatened with an axe and the thieves fled on scooters.

After his arrest on the day of the robbery, Casaletto, who had been working as a builder, was jailed in July 2019, for more than five years for his part in the robbery.