A woman who previously worked as a prison officer has confessed to making unauthorized phone calls to a violent inmate incarcerated for a brutal machete assault. Heather Pinchbeck, aged 28, acknowledged the misconduct during her time as a guard at HMP Dovegate in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, where Joseph Hardy, 31, was serving a 14-year sentence for causing grievous bodily harm in 2017.
Pinchbeck admitted to committing misconduct in a public office by communicating with Hardy using a prohibited mobile phone device between February and March 2023. The prosecution, led by Antonie Muller, indicated that a second charge against Pinchbeck would be addressed during sentencing. The court approved a request for a pre-sentencing report to be prepared before the scheduled sentencing hearing on January 9, 2026.
In a related development, Hardy faces charges for engaging in illicit communications and possessing a mobile device while in prison. Pinchbeck, now employed at a public relations agency, had formerly served as a Prison Offender Manager within HM Prison Service.
Prior to his imprisonment in December 2017, it was revealed in court that Hardy had a confrontation with his victim before the vicious attack. He retrieved a machete from his vehicle, wielded it, and assaulted the man at an address in May 2017. Medical responders arrived at the distressing scene where the victim suffered severe injuries to his leg with bone visibly protruding, along with head lacerations.
The victim’s leg was nearly severed at the incident site, leading to amputation above the knee six days later. Additionally, medical assessments showed the man had a fractured skull. During sentencing, Judge David Stockdale QC characterized the assault as both “brutal” and “cowardly,” emphasizing the victim’s defenselessness against the sustained and vicious attack.