‘Despicable’ prison guard who sexually assaulted two women avoids jail

A senior prison officer who sexually assaulted two women has avoided a jail sentence but left one of his victims “living in constant fear”.Matthew Powell, who worked at HMP Swaleside in Eastchurch, was accused of touching the women without their consent on two separate occasions.Powell, an HMP Swaleside prison officer, was charged with two counts of sexual assault.The offences happened six months apart in 2022.He initially denied the charges, and the case was due to be the subject of a trial at Maidstone Crown Court. However, he changed his plea to guilty on the first day of the hearing.He was sentenced to a four-month prison term which was suspended for two years at Maidstone Crown Court in April.One of his victims, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated: “Matthew Powell embarrassed me, intimidated me and touched me inappropriately for his own sexual gain. I did not initiate this, nor give him any reason to believe that this was something I wanted. I have been diagnosed with PTSD following historical sexual abuse. Matthew Powell’s actions triggered this PTSD and caused a significant decline in my mental health, leaving me with severe anxiety and flashbacks of not only the sexual assault from him but also past abuse I suffered.She added: “This has been emotionally and mentally draining, affecting my relationships and work life.”Powell was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years. A prison service spokesperson said: “Matthew Powell has rightly faced justice for his despicable offences. We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and are committed to maintaining high standards, with measures being put in place to address misconduct and protect staff.”