Ex-CCC staffer admits ‘intimate’ relationship with prison informant

A Corruption and Crime Commission employee has admitted in a Perth court to a three-year “intimate” relationship with a maximum-security prisoner, during which she fed him confidential information about the commission and its staff.

Louise Catherine Carruthers pleaded guilty to one count of public officer acts corruptly in performance of their function in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Carruthers’ work at the CCC involved the management of the commission’s network of sources.Credit: WAtoday

The charges followed the tabling of a report in WA parliament last year that described Carruthers’ alleged actions spanning three years from 2020 to 2023 as “extremely serious”, “potentially dangerous”, and involving a “gross breach of trust”.

Carruthers was subsequently sacked.

The 42-year-old created a pseudonym to register herself with the prison as a legal contact for the inmate so they could have unmonitored interactions.

Text messages were also exchanged between the pair about Carruthers’ sexual history.

On message sent in 2020 read: “I often sit back and ... marvel at the uniqueness of this ... [it was] so rare to have ... a first experience at either of our ages ... I’ve never ... met anyone like you because there’s no one like you.”

Another was sexually explicit and ended with: “I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to talk to you.”

The pair also discussed their future lives together after the prisoner stopped being a source for the CCC, where he envisioned building a house for them both to live in.

In the four years Carruthers was the inmate’s handler, they exchanged 1905 audio messages and made 7413 phone calls.

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After the tabling of the report last year, CCC Commissioner John McKechnie told 6PR Radio that Carruthers’ behaviour was a “strange love affair”, and he was angry because it had put a slur on all the hardworking officers at the commission.

McKechnie said it was clear the commission failed in some measure, and it had begun reviewing the saga.

“What she did potentially put officers’ health and lives in jeopardy because she disclosed to a source information about officers at the commission,” he said.

Carruthers’ supervisor was also sacked.

Carruthers’ matter was committed to Perth District Court to be heard on November 7 where a sentencing date will be set.

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