A corrupt former prison watchdog caught having inappropriate relationships with three inmates after getting the face of a convicted killer printed on her pillows has been jailed.

Helen Spree, 63, was responsible for checking prisoners were treated in a 'just' and 'humane' manner in her role as head of the independent monitoring board at Walton jail in Liverpool.

She was entitled to carry her own set of prison keys and visit inmates at any time as part of the voluntary position.

But the former sales director - who secretly described herself as 'the prison version of Deliveroo' - was exposed after staff spotted one inmate had been swapping multiple calls with her.

Searches of her home uncovered thank you cards from prisoners - plus two pillows printed with the face of one of the men, a convicted armed killer, pictured holding a gun. 

In one seized letter, Spree told the criminal she was 'thinking about you - like crazy'. 

Investigators also discovered she had abused her role to smuggle in drugs, tobacco and mobile phones into the category B jail.

While she denied any of the relationships ever became physical, further proof of her betrayal came in the form of an intimate tattoo.

Twice-married Spree had an inking of a bee with love heart above the word ‘Masterpiece’ on her chest.

Damningly, investigators discovered prisoners would refer to her as a ‘Masterpiece’ in sexually graphic text messages and thank you cards.

The shamed mother-of-one is now behind bars herself after today being jailed for five years and three months.

A judge told her it would be 'hard to imagine a greater betrayal of the public’s trust’.

After being appointed to the trusted role, Spree became involved in inappropriate relationships with Thomas Porterfield, 44, Dylan Westall, 35, and a third man who can't be named for legal reasons from 2019, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Westall had just begun serving a life sentence for the manslaughter of 17-year-old James Meadows, who was a pillion passenger on the bike in Huyton, Merseyside, when he was shot in 2017.

Yet Spree treated him like 'a teenager’s first love' rather than 'a divorced woman in her late 50s', her own barrister told the hearing.

She had Westall's face printed onto two pillows found when anti-corruption officers raided her home in Roby, the court heard.

Spree and the unnamed third inmate later declared their 'love' for each other.

In one message between them uncovered by investigators, Spree wrote: 'Love you so much..., sweet dreams. I will be thinking about you xxx.'

The prisoner replied: 'Ok my love… can’t wait to see ya… goodnight h a love u xxx.'

Spree pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office, conveying List A and B articles into a prison, and supplying a controlled drug.

Jailing her, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said she had played a ‘leading role’ after forming ‘corrupt’ relationships with prisoners.

'They were deliberate offences that required high level of planning and sophistication,' he said.

'And while I accept Helen Spree was manipulated by her co-defendants to some extent, she was well aware of the risks of forming relationships with prisoners and was in no way coerced.'

The judge added that it was ‘hard to imagine a greater betrayal of the public’s trust’.

On Monday, Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said Spree telephoned, FaceTimed and messaged the men between December 2019 and August 2021. 

The calls included 'social messaging about what was going on in the lives of prisoners and sexually explicit messages' as well as details about prison searches and prison officer disciplinary matters, including those that had been referred to police.

Messages also contained 'criticism of the criminal justice system' and requests for Spree to bring mobile phones and cannabis into the prison.

'So frequent were the deliveries that Ms Spree described herself as the prison version of Deliveroo,' Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott detailed how an investigation was launched after 78 reports were received that Spree had become 'over-familiar' with some prisoners, was having inappropriate contact with them, and was conveying articles into prison.

The court heard how Spree had ferried in phones, phone chargers, tobacco and cigarette papers for the three prisoners with the help of Westall's brother Michael Westall, 28.

She had also paid two deposits of £100 into Dylan Westall's prison account.

Arthur Gibson, defending, said Spree had had a successful career as a businesswoman and was a ‘strong character’ but it was ‘veneer that hid a personal life of abuse and trauma’ with her first marriage ending in divorce.

Her second marriage ended acrimoniously after her husband had an affair.

Mr Gibson said she’d been left mentally damaged by her dealings with men and suffered from ‘very low self-esteem’.

So when she was flattered and given praise, she was ‘easily susceptible into making seriously wrong judgements’.

Her offending began when she ‘stood up’ for Porterfield in an argument between him and a prison officer over him being moved to excrement-covered cell, Mr Gibson said, and from that point on she was seen ‘as somebody on the side of inmates’.

Her emotional involvement with her co-conspirators, Mr Gibson said, was illustrated by the cushions of Dylan Westall’s face which he described as ‘something associated with a teenager's first love, not a divorced woman in her late 50s.’

Spree has had to downsize her home and is now unemployed, he said, saying she had not been motivated by financial gain.

Instead, Mr Gibson said, she simply enjoyed feeling 'loved, appreciated and wanted' when ‘in reality she was simply being used.’

Porterfield, of Widnes, admitted conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into a prison, conspiracy to supply cannabis and unauthorised possession of a mobile phone in prison.

He was given a 22 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. 

Dylan Westall, currently serving a minimum of 22 years, previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into a prison, conspiracy to supply cannabis and unauthorised possession of a mobile phone in prison.

He was jailed for 12 months to run concurrent to his existing sentence. 

Michael Westall, of Fazakerley, Liverpool, admitted six counts of conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into a prison and conspiracy to supply cannabis.

The judge handed him a 20 month sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The man who can't be named was found guilty of conspiracy to convey list A and B articles into a prison following a trial.

He was jailed for two years and 10 months. 

Afterwards Detective Superintendent Claire McGuire, of the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: 'Helen Spree’s behaviour was a calculated and sustained abuse of a position that exists solely to protect the welfare and rights of people in custody. 

'Independent monitoring board volunteers are entrusted with exceptional access so they can provide independent scrutiny on behalf of the public. 

'Instead of upholding that responsibility, Spree chose to exploit it for personal and criminal gain.

'Her actions undermined the safety and stability of the prison, compromised the integrity of the IMB system, and betrayed the trust placed in her by colleagues and the public.'

Every prison in England and Wales has an independent monitoring board (IMB).

They are staffed by volunteers and work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to monitor the treatment of inmates 'to confirm it is fair, just and humane' and assess the range and adequacy of programmes preparing them for release.

They have unrestricted access to jails and inmates at any time after undergoing a year-long induction and security training.

Members are subject to the same vetting and checks as prison staff but references are not taken, according to the MoJ.

Spree became a member of HMP Liverpool's IMB in 2017 and was appointed chair at the start of 2021.