A convicted gangster begged a ‘very pretty’ female prison officer to wait for him to be freed to continue their romance – after the pair had phone sex from his cell, a court heard.

Ruth Shmylo, 26, is accused of having a five-month fling with drug dealer Harri Pullen, 25, who she left in tears after revealing she wanted to move to Australia, while working at a category B prison.

Pullen and Shmylo’s alleged affair began after he passed a mobile number to her on a slip of paper and she phoned him on it for ‘teenage’ style chats.

After she was sacked from her custody officer role at Parc Prison in Bridgend Pullen was moved to HMP Manchester – also known as Strangeways – and added Shmylo to his calls list.

But calls between the pair of them were recorded by prison bosses and played in Cardiff Crown Court during Shmylo’s misconduct trial.

Ruth Shmylo (pictured), 26, is accused of having phone sex with inmate Harri Pullen, 25

Head of security Dan Hayman said Shmylo chose not to wear prison-issue uniform and instead wore her own ‘skin-tight trousers’

Convicted gangster Harri Pullen (pictured) begged Shmylo to wait for him to be freed to continue their romance – after the pair had phone sex from his cell, a court heard

In one call Shmylo is heard telling Pullen she wants to leave her home in south Wales and move to Australia – leaving him audibly upset and crying.

Pullen says: ‘We loved each other and I love you still to this day. I love you even more.

‘I want to prove I can give you what you deserve.’

When Shmylo tells him that she has had enough of her life in Wales, Pullen says: ‘Your home is here. This is your home.’

He adds: ‘When I get out I want to take you for food.’

He goes on: ‘I want to at least take you for food. A night out with you. Take you to a hotel or whatever.’

As the call continues with Pullen begging, he tells her: ‘You should have known what you were doing when you took that number.’

Shmylo says that at one point Pullen made threats to her about her cats and her family.

She says: ‘The thought of going away and living a different life appeals to me massively. I still speak to you despite your threats.’

Pullen said: ‘I beg you please don’t go.’

He added: ‘Let me get out and give me a month and if that’s what you still want then I will pack your bags for you and take you to the airport.’

Shmylo described as being ‘very pretty’ – was sacked from her job at Parc Prison in Bridgend after failing her probation period there.

The court heard complaints about her included ‘flirtatious’ behaviour with inmates and wearing ‘skin-tight trousers’ to work.

The court heard Shmylo was employed at Parc Prison between August 2020 and April 2021 but failed her probation period and was ‘released’

Shmylo was also questioned by bosses over her behaviour towards other inmates while working as a custody officer between August 2020 and April 2021

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said she should have reported Pullen for having a secret phone behind bars, but instead chose to ring him.

He said the Pullen would contact Shmylo ‘daily’, and had also had phone sex with her and referred to her as his ‘Mrs’.

He contacted her on her birthday wishing her ‘happy birthday princess girl’ and arranged for his mother to meet up with her.

Mr Cobbe told the court that after being arrested Shmylo admitted she had phone sex with Pullen.

Mr Cobbe said: ‘She conceded during the course of her interview that she had had phone sex with the inmate.

‘She explained this was principally the inmate saying things to her, noting that ‘I was listening for the best part of it’.

‘That means she was actively engaging in phone sex with the inmate – or some of it.’

Female prison officer Ruth Shmylo, 26, had secret phone sex with Pullen and even met up with his mother, a court heard

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said Pullen and Shmylo’s alleged affair began after he passed a mobile number to Shmylo on a slip of paper

Shmylo, a former custody officer at 1,652-capacity HMP Parc in Bridgend, South Wales, said Pullen would contact her ‘pretty much every single day’

The court heard Shmylo was employed at Parc Prison between August 2020 and April 2021 but failed her probation period and was ‘released’.

Claire Wilks, defending, said Shmylo was a ‘very pretty 23-year-old’ who was at obvious risk of being manipulated by Pullen.

She said: ‘He was a convicted drug dealer, it was an intelligence led operation, he’s the member of an organised crime group. All those factors lead him to being a high risk and whilst he was in custody he was known to be a risk.’

Ms Wilks said Pullin had ‘illicit phones’ in prison and ‘at one stage was thought to be in possession of an improvised gun’.

Shmylo, of Treforest, Pontypridd, denies misconduct in a public office.

The trial continues.