A prisoner serving a lengthy jail sentence was able to have sex with an acquaintance in a Hungry Jack’s toilet thanks to poor supervision from a “misguided” prison guard, a Corruption and Crime Commission report has found.

The incident was just one of a number highlighted by an investigation into poor supervision of prisoners centred around now-retired prison guard David Northing.

The incident at the Hungry Jacks store in Mundaring, caught on CCTV camera, shows the prisoner accompanying Mr Northing and another prisoner into the store before going to the unisex toilet.

Camera Icon The couple head off into the toilet. Credit: CCC

A short time later, a woman who had been seated at the restaurant joins him in the toilet for two and a half minutes.

The CCC report says it is not known what happened in the toilet during this time but, during an interview with the CCC, the woman admitted she had had sex with the prisoner who was serving a seven year sentence for serious drug offences and has links to an outlaw motorcycle gang.

The prisoner has since been released on parole.

In the report, tabled in parliament on Friday, CCC investigators said the incident was the last in a long line involving Mr Northing, who had a history of inappropriate contact with prisoners and failure to supervise them adequately, dating back to 2003.

The CCC found that his actions did not constitute serious misconduct because “the conclusion that Mr Northing’s actions were misguided rather than corrupt is reasonably open”.

The report details how Mr Northing was targeted and groomed by long term prisoners who saw him as an easy mark, with prisoners able to meet up with associates outside prison on at least two occasions.

Minimum security prisoners deemed suitable to participate in external activities were allowed to accompany Mr Northing to help with loading and unloading when he left Karnet Prison farm to deliver eggs, dairy and meat products produced at the prison and other Department of Justice facilities.

Many were towards the end of long stints in prison for serious offences, including wilful murder and child sex offences.

However, during these trips Mr Northing would often make unscheduled stops, including to buy ice creams for “his boys” at the Southern River Shopping Centre. The prisoners would either accompany him into the shopping centre or remain unsupervised in the prison vehicle.

In another incident, a different prisoner used Mr Northing’s phone to call his girlfriend and organise to meet up at a roadside parking bay in Serpentine. Mr Northing drove the prisoner to the arranged location for the meeting that lasted about eight minutes.

The CCC also found fault with the department, finding it was aware of Mr Northing’s ongoing neglect of his duty to supervise prisoners, leaving the public and the prison vulnerable to a significant security risk.

The report said the extent to which other officers might be involved in similar conduct was unknown because the security risks had not been addressed.

“Because of the lack of controls, it is impossible to know whether Mr Northing is an isolated example or a common one,” the report said.

“Moreover, the risks of contraband entering prisons through regular transport deliveries remains high.”

The CCC has made a number of recommendations to tighten and improve the supervision of prisoners when they are outside prison, including rotating prisoners through placements to avoid staff spending long periods of time alone with the same prisoners.

The department has accepted the CCC recommendations and said a detailed risk mitigation action plan is being developed.