Pictured: The 25-year-old inmate had an “inappropriate relationship with the prison officer” and an affair with the prison nurse

A prison officer accused of having an “inappropriate relationship” with a male inmate held up her middle finger as she appeared in court today.

Custody Officer Ruth Shmylo, 25, made the gesture as she entered Cardiff Crown Court today after denying wrongdoing in public office over the alleged affair.

The court heard she was one of two staff members who allegedly had a relationship with 25-year-old inmate Harri Pullen while he was held at HMP Parc of Bridgend’s Category B prison.

Health worker Elyse Hibbs was jailed for six months in October after she admitted flirtatious calling with the “manipulative” Pullen while he was serving his sentence.

Safekeeping Officer Ruth Shmylo, 25, made the gesture as she entered Cardiff Crown Court today after being charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged relationship

Harri Pullen, 25, is accused of having relationships with health worker Elyse Hibbs and prison officer Ruth Shmylo.

Pullen’s identity was revealed today during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, where Shmylo will stand trial in September.

The prisoner was sentenced to five years in prison in 2019 for his role in a drug gang that flooded the streets of South Wales with cocaine and heroin.

He spent some time at HMP Parc before being transferred to HMP Manchester allegedly over suspicion of his ties to staff.

However, he was sentenced to a further four years and nine months in prison after a hidden phone was discovered in his rectum while he was being transferred to Swansea Prison by HMP Manchester to prepare for his release.

The court heard that Pullen came into contact with Hibbs and Shmylo while on duty at HMP Parc.

Shmylo, from Treforest, Pontypridd, was issued unconditional bail today ahead of a September court hearing

Shmylo (pictured) is on trial for misconduct in public office over an alleged relationship with the prisoner

Shmylo will now stand trial over an alleged affair with the prisoner while she was employed as a detention officer at the 1,652-capacity prison.

Claire Wilks, who defends Shmylo, said alleged evidence that prosecutors relied on was not relevant to her case.

The indictment against her states: “As a public official, namely a law enforcement officer, you have willfully and without reasonable excuse or justification, misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to betraying public confidence in the officer by engaging in an improper act relation to a prisoner.’

Prosecutors have been ordered to serve transcripts of the alleged phone conversations between the two ahead of a trial scheduled for September.

Shmylo, from Treforest, Pontypridd, has been given unconditional bail.

Shmylo will now stand trial over an alleged affair with the same prisoner while she was employed as a prison officer

The two relationships reportedly took place while Pullen was serving as a prisoner at HMP Parc in South Wales

Pullen met health worker Hibbs while she was treating him medically in prison before contacting her on Instagram.

Hibbs resigned from her post at HMP Parc in July 2021 but was arrested a week later and admitted to exchanging messages with the prisoner.

Matthew Cobbe, prosecutor, previously said, “She stated that she and the inmate were never in any sexual relationship at all.”

Adam Sharp, who defended Hibbs, mitigated her sentencing by saying the prisoner was known within the system as a “particularly manipulative person.”

Hibbs (pictured) was jailed for six months in October after she admitted making flirtatious calls to the “manipulative” Pullen