Former Police Officer who lied to take boyfriend's speeding points is jailed
Sabrina Kaur, 23, of Luton, claimed after her Mercedes car was caught by a speed camera that she had been driving
A former police officer who lied to take speeding points for a boyfriend has been jailed for 16 months for perverting the course of justice.
Sabrina Kaur, 23, of Luton, claimed after her Mercedes car was caught by a speed camera that she had been driving - when actually it was Michael Tura, Cambridge Crown Court was told.
Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger said Mr Tura was a provisional licence holder at the time of the incident, on April 28, 2022, and Kaur had only passed her test in March 2020.
A person must have held a full driving licence for at least three years to legally supervise a learner driver.
"The vehicle driving didn't have L-plates and was uninsured for that particular piece of driving," Mr Pottinger said.
He said a notice of intended prosecution was posted to Kaur on June 28, 2022 and she replied on July 14 "making a false admission that she was the driver".
The prosecutor said as the vehicle was recorded travelling at 53mph in a 30mph zone, the matter was dealt with in court.
"She maintained her false account and set out detailed and false mitigation in her guilty plea document," he said.
There was a court hearing under the single justice procedure on September 27, 2022 and Kaur, of Pevensey Close, Luton, was fined £472 and given six penalty points.
"Throughout this time she was working as a PCSO," said Mr Pottinger.
"She joined the force in February 2021 and became a warranted officer in March 2023."
He said Kaur "mentioned to colleagues she agreed to take points for Mr Tura" and an investigation was launched by Bedfordshire Police, her then-employer.
Mr Tura was also investigated and was cleared of perverting the course of justice following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court, while prosecutors offered no evidence in respect of a third defendant.
Mr Pottinger said Mr Tura had made a covert recording of Kaur "asking him to maintain (the) false account to police professional standards".
Judge Philip Grey said he heard the recording during the trial of Mr Tura.
"It was very clear from that that the defendant (Kaur) was directing Mr Tura as to how to behave, what lie to tell the investigators and telling him to dispose of any evidence he had and that she had disposed of evidence," he said.
Minal Rajshakha, mitigating, said "Mr Tura and Ms Kaur had been in a very short relationship" - though the judge said at trial Mr Tura "denied there had been any sort of relationship".
She said Kaur had acted "out of some stupid, misguided loyalty" and had now "lost her dream job".
Ms Rajshakha said the defendant was working as a supervisor at New Look and had a second job at Sports Direct in Dunstable.
Kaur admitted perverting the course of justice when she appeared before Cambridge Crown Court in February this year.
Judge Philip Grey, sentencing Kaur on Friday, said she "bizarrely... informed colleagues you had taken Mr Tura's points for him".
He added: "On finding out you were under investigation you arranged a conversation with Mr Tura, who by then was a PCSO, and a third party."
He described her actions as an "ongoing campaign of deception to save your own skin", and noted she was a serving police officer when she "hatched a scheme to cover it up".
Sentencing Kaur to 16 months in prison, the judge said: "Actions of this sort undermine the entire system of justice."
Kaur wept and waved to her father, who sat in the public gallery, as she was led from the secure dock to the cells.
A police misconduct hearing held in January found Kaur would have been dismissed had she not already resigned.
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: "The behaviour displayed by this officer was an appalling breach of trust, for which there is no place in our force.
"This was a calculated course of conduct by the officer who sought to mislead the justice system and in turn the public.
"There is no place for such dishonestly in policing and we will continue to take robust action against anyone who seeks to undermine trust and confidence in policing in this way."