4 days ago
Policewoman said she'd been driving speeding car but there was one big problem with her story
Policewoman said she'd been driving speeding car but there was one big problem with her story
Sanna Khan, 31, said she was driving a Toyota caught speeding in the West Midlands but investigators found a glaring hole in her story
Sanna Khan falsely claimed to have been behind the wheel of a car that was speeding
(Image: Copyright Unknown )
A former police officer lied when she filled out a form stating she was driving at the time of a speeding offence when it was her brother who was actually behind the wheel.
The evasion came to the light when the officer failed to attend a driving workshop, and she raised the matter with her superiors.
Sanna Khan, 31, was employed by South Wales Police when she fraudulently claimed to be the driver of a Toyota Land Cruiser which was caught driving at 68mph in a 60mph limit on the M5 in the West Midlands on March 8, 2023.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard it was impossible for the defendant to be the driver as she was working a shift at Cardiff Bay police station at the time of the offence. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
Prosecutor Hannah Friedman said Khan's brother returned a notice of intended prosecution to the authorities on March 31, stating he was not the driver and provided his sister's contact details.
The document was then sent to the defendant who confirmed she was the driver and wished to take a speed awareness course, which was available to her.
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But Khan failed to book a place on such a course within the required four-month period and in October, 2023, she was summoned to attend a hearing at Worcester Magistrates Court.
Having told her superiors about the hearing, the defendant said she was required to contact the internal professional standards department at South Wales Police.
When this matter was investigated by the department, it was discovered that Khan could not have been the driver as she was working a duty shift at Cardiff Bay police station.
The defendant was arrested and in her interview she acknowledged her actions had been misleading but did not amount to perverting the course of justice.
She told the interviewing officer: "I knew it was wrong and shouldn't have done that. I knew instantly it was misleading".
Khan, of Roundwood Close, Penylan, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. The court heard she was of previous good character.
In mitigation, defence barrister Susan Ferrier said her client had a "promising career" in the police but as a result of her conviction she had been forced to resign. Ms Ferrier said: "As a result of her one bad decision she has ruined all of that for herself."
It was said that the defendant was planning a wedding and helping with the family business, which led to her driving the Toyota Land Cruiser on occasions, but she failed to check if she was the driver at the time of the offence.
Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "This is in many respects a sad case, you were a hardworking and diligent police officer, a career lost to you following your resignation."
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Khan was sentenced to 27 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 15 months.
She was also ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and to pay £1,630 in costs.
