A disgraced ex-cop hid her romance with her murderer husband – then helped him launder drugs money. Stephanie Heaps, now known as Stephanie Ramsden, has been jailed.
She met Leon ‘Layton’ Ramsden, 35, while he was serving life for murder at HMP Wymott in Leyland. She was working as a prison officer at the time. Ramsden was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 17 years in 2010 after killing Paul Gilligan, 31, at a Bolton pub.
A Greater Manchester Police investigation found Heaps, 32, had links to an organised crime group associated with Ramsden, which was involved in money laundering, drug dealing and a burglary conspiracy. She was sentenced to four years and three months at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday (July 4). Cop bosses said she had a ‘brazen disregard’ for the profession.
The pair are now married. A bizarre AI-generated image of the pair tying the knot was posted on social media.
Heaps was barred from policing at an misconduct hearing in October 2023. She joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as a PC in July 2019. She didn’t declare her links to Ramsden. Officers uncovered the pair’s relationship after a tip off in September 2019.
Heaps often visited Ramsden in prison, contacted him on illegal phones he had in his cell and shared sensitive police information with him. She failed to arrest a wanted domestic abuse suspect while responding to an incident as the suspect was an associate of Ramsden’s, GMP said.
She was arrested in January 2020, but offered no comment when interviewed. Weeks later, she resigned from the force. In October 2022, Heaps pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office as a police officer at GMP; misconduct in a public officer as a prison officer at HMP Wymott; intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence after conducting telephone conversations with Ramsden through illegal mobile phones; conspiracy to commit burglary after a burglary in St Helens; and conspiracy to transfer, conceal and convert criminal property regarding the money laundering of Ramsden’s drugs money.
Ramsden, of HMP Berwyn, was sentenced to five years and seven months, to run concurrently with his murder sentence. Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Adams, of GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit, said: “During our investigation, we were shocked by the actions of Stephanie Heaps and her brazen disregard for the standards required for both her roles in the police and the prison service.
“As soon as we were made aware of Heaps’ potential relationship with Ramsden, we conducted a number of detailed enquiries to ensure that the maximum amount of evidence about her offending could be collated so she could be held accountable for the full extent of her crimes.
“It’s clear Heaps should never be trusted to serve the public, and it is testament to the investigation team that she was only in uniform for a matter of months before she was taken away from frontline duties for good and now put rightly behind bars along with Ramsden and his associates.”
Alan Richardson, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West said: “Stephanie Heaps was in a position of trust both as a prison officer and later a police officer. She knew that her actions created a serious conflict of interest and entirely compromised the trusted positions she held.
“The CPS worked hard with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case. The strength of the evidence was such that Heaps had no option but accepts her guilt. Heaps will now face the consequences of her actions.”
Four others from Bolton have also been sentenced in connection with the case. Philip Markland, 40, of Bardon Close, was sentenced to 22 months for conspiracy to commit burglary at an address in St Helens.
Lee Ramsden, 52, of Bleak Street, was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for 18 months; 25 rehabilitation days; and a six-month home detention curfew between 7pm and 6am, for conspiracy to transfer, conceal and convert criminal property.
Clifford McCarthy, 35, of Larkfield Grove, was sentenced to 15 months suspended for two years; 200 hours community service; and 10 rehabilitation days for conspiracy to transfer, conceal and convert criminal property.
Joanne Campbell, 48, of Gisburn Avenue, was sentenced to 13 months suspended for 18 months; 25 rehabilitation days; and referred to support services for conspiracy to transfer, conceal and convert criminal property.
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