The face of a Sports Direct employee who attempted to pay someone to kill her love rival has been revealed.

Thames Valley Police has released a custody image of Whitney Franks, aged 27, who was jailed for 12 years at Reading Crown Court yesterday (Thursday).

Franks, of Two Mile Ash in Milton Keynes, was found guilty of soliciting murder after she paid someone £282-worth of bitcoin to kill Rutt Ruttna, who was in a relationship with her lover and general manager of the Midsummer Place Sports Direct store, James Prest.

In August 2020, Franks accessed the dark web and sought out a website where she believed she could hire a hitman.

READ MORE: Woman who paid ‘hitman’ for murder of Sports Direct love rival JAILED

On the site, she posted a message saying "I am looking to hire for the murder of a woman." She went on to share Rutt Ruttna's name, address and social media information.

During the trial, Franks claimed she believed the site was a scam and only posted the messages because she was "intrigued" by the dark web.

However, a unanimous jury found that Franks' intention was to have Ruttna killed.

Sentencing her to 12 years in prison, Judge Paul Dugdale said: "She was very young, and she was somewhat impressionable, but she tried to hire someone to kill Rutt Ruttna.

“She said right at the start ‘I am looking to hire for the murder of a woman’. When she did this it was Whitney Frank’s intention that the person she contacted on the dark web would kill Rutt Ruttna.”

Franks will have to serve eight years of her sentence before she will be released on licence.