A female prison officer who fell in love with an inmate and performed a sex act on him in his cell on Christmas Day has been jailed for a year.

Emily Watson, 26, spent so much time with John McGee at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham that staff soon became suspicious and launched an investigation.

The probe revealed they had been alone together in his cell on three occasions, when she performed a sex act on him twice and had intercourse once.

She had also sent explicit images and videos of herself to him on an iPhone 6 that had been smuggled into the prison hidden inside a playstation.

McGee, who was locked up for causing death by dangerous driving, registered her phone number under a different name and the pair talked regularly when she was off shift - with 96 calls logged.

Watson, of Linthwaite, Huddersfield, sobbed loudly as she was sentenced at Mold Crown Court.

Emily Watson, 26, (police mugshot pictured left) has been jailed for having a sexual relationship with prisoner John McGee (mugshot right) at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham between October 2017 and January 2018

Watson, who was jailed for a year, is pictured being led in handcuffs ahead of her sentencing at Mold Crown Court

McGee is pictured in handcuffs outside Mold Crown Court making a rude gesture to the camera

She previously admitted misconduct in public office by engaging in an intimate sexual relationship with a prisoner.

The court heard that their sexual relationship started in October 2017, after they got to know each other doing a BBC Children In Need three-legged race, and ended in January 2018.

McGee was serving an eight-year sentence for causing the death of Richard Bratin, 52, by dangerous driving in December 2015.

He ploughed into the father and charity worker while driving with his lights off. He fled the scene and left Mr Bratin for dead and the police to chase him. He was already on licence for supplying Class A drugs.

Watson's case at Mold Crown Court heard she had been a prison officer for three years when she fell for McGee.

An illegal phone was found in his cell that revealed the pair had contact via Instagram as well as his prison phone.

He sent her messages saying he was dreaming of her and she sent him a naked picture and a sexual video of herself.

She was arrested on the way to work in January 2018.

The judge said: 'One can only hope the sentence of eight years imprisonment would have been some comfort to the family of Mr Bratin.

'Therefore it is difficult to imagine the betrayal they must have felt at finding out that he was able to have free access to an iPhone in prison and conduct a sexual relationship from his prison cell.'

McGee was serving an eight-year sentence for causing the death of Richard Bratin, 52, pictured, by dangerous driving in December 2015

Watson covers her head and looks at her phone outside an earlier court hearing

He accepted Watson was of otherwise good character with no previous convictions.

Her family had written a letter saying how proud they were of her achievements.

She had worked two jobs and was university educated.

Her lawyer Gerald Patcher said she was truly remorseful and asked for a suspended sentence - but the judge said he couldn't agree.

The judge added: 'This quite reprehensible behaviour' was willingly entered into for nothing other than thrill-seeking and personal gratification, having been flattered.'

The delay in bringing Watson to court came after she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act for trying to throw herself off a bridge.