"Those who abuse their position will be held to account” - Havant prison officer jailed for 12 months after tipping off convict brother of cell search
A prison officer from Havant, and her mother, have been sentenced after revealing sensitive information to a family member who was a prisoner.
Zoe Davie, 33, of Middlepark Way, was jailed for 12 months after telling her mother about an upcoming search at HMP Coldingley, where her brother was a prisoner. Davie pled guilty to misconduct in a public office at a hearing in March 2025 and was subsequently sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Monday, July 7.
The offence occurred in October 2022 when she was a serving prison officer attached to a specialist search team within HM Prisons and Probation Service.
When hearing of a forthcoming search at the prison where her brother was serving five years and one months for possession with intent to supply class A drugs, she told her mother, Tracie Davie, who in turn alerted Zoe’s brother.
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An investigation by the Prison Intelligence Team in the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), in partnership with HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption Unit, discovered evidence of the crime on recorded prison phone calls between Zoe’s brother and her mother, as well as WhatsApp messages exchanged between Zoe and Tracie Davie.
Head of SEROCU, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Boniface, said: “The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit remain committed to working closely with HMPPS Counter Corruption Unit to expose and prosecute the minority of prison staff who breach the professional standards expected of those in positions of public trust.
“Zoe Davie’s actions fell short of those standards, compromising the safety of her colleagues by disclosing sensitive operational intelligence. This behaviour not only undermined public trust, but also disrupted the operational integrity of HMPPS, all while she was serving as a prison officer.
“I hope this outcome reinforces the message that accountability applies to all regardless of personal ties – those who abuse their position will be held to account.”
Tracie Davie, 58, of Gaskell Mews, Newbury, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, for assisting the commission of the offence.