Kiah Andrusjak arrives at Manchester Crown Court ahead of her sentencing

A female prison warder who had a six-month affair with a convicted killer has been jailed after she was caught smuggling in racy pictures of herself.

Former Royal Navy sailor Kiah Andrusjak, 23, was detained after she was caught smuggling in the pictures and a Terry's Chocolate Orange for Shane Boyd whilst he was languishing at Manchester Prison, formerly known as Strangeways.

The pair had been engaged in a secret romance behind bars during which they swapped up to 600 text messages using an unauthorised mobile phone that 24-year old Boyd kept hidden in his cell.

She and Boyd had met in the prison canteen where he smiled at her and she smiled back.

Last Christmas Boyd even arranged for his sister to give his lover a Christmas card containing £150 in cash during a meeting at a Nando's restaurant.

At Manchester Crown Court, Andrusjak, of Hindley Green, Wigan, sobbed as she admitted miscodnuct in a public office and was jailed for eight months.

It is thought she will serve her jail term in Styal Women's prison, ten miles from her lover's cell.

Boyd, from Middleton, had been jailed for life for murder in 2009 after he stabbed a 16-year-old student to death after a petty argument over an Xbox console.

Then also 16, Boyd plunged a knife into Conor Black as he stood outside a house party after first stunning him by smashing a beer can over his head.

After the stabbing he went back into the party bragging that he was 'the man' and threatening to kill anyone who named him to police.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years behind bars before he would be considered for parole.

Boyd, from Middleton, had been jailed for life for murder in 2009 after he stabbed a 16-year-old student to death, but Andrusjak started a relationship with him

Andrusjak - who is thought to have previously served on HMS Raleigh - also received a further two week training course at Strangeways before being assigned to the G wing on June 26

He met Andrusjak in March 2016 when she was training as a prison officer. The court heard the warder's training included a 10-week course including 'anti-corruption training and instructions on the appropriate level of contact with prisoners.'

Andrusjak - who is thought to have previously served on HMS Raleigh - also received a further two week training course at Strangeways before being assigned to the G wing on June 26.

Maria Brennan prosecuting said: 'Six months later in December 2016 the prison received three separate allegations that he was involved in a romantic relationship with a member of staff. One of these allegations named the defendant.

'She would bring in items such as chocolate and tobacco. A meeting was arranged with senior prison staff and the defendant for her to be challenged.

Former Royal Navy sailor Kiah Andrusjak, 23, was detained after she was caught smuggling in pictures and chocolate for Shane Boyd whilst he was languishing at Manchester Prison

Then 16, Boyd plunged a knife into Conor Black as he stood outside a house party after first stunning him by smashing a beer can over his head

'The defendant was searched and on her a packet of cigarettes were found and an envelope containing nine photos, six featuring the defendant in her underwear and photos of her stuck next to a picture of him.

'The defendant confirmed that the male in the photographs was her boyfriend and when asked how long the relationship had been going on she claimed she had known him before but the relationship had only started when she was working on G wing.

'She said that she was in the middle of requesting a transfer to another prison because both knew the relationship was wrong. She said she had not been in touch with Shane by phone.

'Her iPhone was seized and items were recovered such as Terry's chocolate orange and a further eight photos.

'The phone used by Shane Boyd was never recovered. Her phone was examined and on it were found to be a very large number of text messages and calls between the two of them between the 6th of November 2016 and the 12th of December.

Their relationship started while Boyd was serving time at Manchester Prison, formerly known as Strangeways

'These text messages suggest an intense romantic relationship between the defendant and Mr Boyd and well over 200 messages were recovered with a suggestion that there could be over 600 messages in total.

'The defendant was aware that Shane had access to a mobile phone and she was complicit in that. In interview she confirmed she had been finding the job stressful and had found another job and there is reference in those text messages to her looking for another job.

'She first met him when she was a cleaning manager and he was a cleaner in a canteen and he smiled at her and she smiled back. After meeting him in G wing she realised that he had access to an unauthorised phone.

'They messaged 100's of times and at Christmas Shane arranged for his sister to give the defendant a Christmas present. The defendant met his sister in a Nando's restaurant where a card containing £150 in cash was handed over.'

In mitigation defence lawyer Alex Leach said: 'Although the defendant claims she was groomed into this relationship and she may not have felt manipulated but it may be that the experience of this court can look to see the motives that this prisoner may have had with this young woman.

'She did not benefit from experience and she was young, immature and naive. She has exhibited a high level of remorse from the moment she was challenged about her offences.

'She was vulnerable at the time she was working and was struggling to cope in her new role - losing 12kg in weight. She had made it known to her supervisors that she wanted to leave her position and seek employment elsewhere.

'The defendant felt incapable of being taken seriously by the prisoners. She felt threatened and on one occasion Mr Boyd stood up for her in front of other prisoners and that is when she began to develop feelings for him.

'She didn't take drugs or SIM cards but chocolate and photographs and did not undermine the security of the institution she was working in. She joined the Royal Navy when she was 16. The impact of a custodial sentence for her would be crushing.'

Passing sentence Sentence, Judge David Stockdale QC told Andrusjak: 'You formed a romantic relationship with a prisoner who was a convicted and it evolved over a six month period.

'You bought into the prison confectionary and cigarettes for him. More significantly you communicated with him by text message, many many messages in this case.

Forensic officers work near Moston Lane, Manchester where 16-year-old Conor Black was stabbed to death by Boyd

'The precise number of text messages exchanged is not entirely certain and some say as many as 690 were sent, but it is at least 200 which indicated that the relationship between the two of you was an intense one.

'The fact that you are communicating by text messages when you knew that access to a mobile phone is prohibited means you were complicit. You knew that your relationship with Boyd was illicit and you maintained that relationship.

'Your contact compromised the security obtained within the prison and made you vulnerable to blackmail and put you in danger. Public confidence in the security of prisons is undermined whenever a prison officer breaches the trust in this way.

'These offences committed by you did involve a serious breach of trust. You maintained that relationship knowing that it was illicit and could have ended it at any time.

'You were of a young age but had served for five years in the Royal Navy and has considerable experience within public services.

'Your betrayal of the trust placed in you as a serving prison officer can only be punished with an immediate custodial sentence.'